Five smiley faces stared at me as I transformed strings of broken letters into words that would later define my ability to build sentences, paragraphs and essays. Five star stickers would establish my motivated mindset and desire to achieve a strong work ethic as we completed projects and hosted a wedding for “Q” and “U” in order to commit their union to memory. Five tears I shed as I said goodbye to kindergarten.
Nine pairs of glassy green eyes surrounded me as my peers screamed "ribbit!" when I put my unfinished assignments into my “Work In Progress” folder and passed along a smooth little stone to the next deserving student. Nine of my peers worked diligently with me to complete a production we wrote ourselves known as "ESOL" (Energetic Shocking Old Ladies), which we performed for the class. Nine tears I shed as I said goodbye to third grade.
Ten times a day I would descend to the little girls’ room and drink a gallon of water, which resulted in a diagnosis that changed my whole entire world. Ten times an hour I was comforted and loved by the organized and patient golden apple who planned fascinating lessons about electricity, bats and komodo dragons. Ten tears I shed as I said goodbye to fourth grade.
Thirteen shades of literature imprinted on my heart as I learned about loss in "Fever 1793," discovered my deep love for the written language and heard my poetic voice for the very first time. Thirteen levels of confidence radiated from my smile as I built friendships that made me a better person and found my inner spirit as it danced across pieces of paper. Thirteen tears I shed as I said goodbye to seventh grade.
As I grew older, I learned to appreciate the ways of the advanced creator who encouraged weekly singing groups, the worldly scholar, who passionately conveyed the importance of culture and politics in ancient civilization; the ultimate encourager, who provided opportunities for student success through test corrections and creativity points; and the fierce eagle eye, who established a relationship of trust and communication as she uncovered the heartbreak that was hiding inside my soul.
While I thank many of my former teachers for their contribution toward my passion for education, my biggest inspiration was never the leader of my classroom and never gave me report cards. There was one person who, above all, contributed to my passion. I am lucky to say she is the woman who has raised me with strength, loved me with grace and turned me into the person I am today. I appreciate everything that education and being a teacher stands for because of my mom.
Throughout my childhood, my mom and I completed activities for various letter days, created homemade calendars and planned “Back to School” and “Christmas” countdowns. She would often volunteer in my classroom with the glassy green eyes and the golden apple in order to engage in literature circles and advanced vocabulary work. I have gained an incredible amount of memories, enthusiasm and a hereditary intuition for creativity all because of her guidance and passion. My heart flutters with excitement whenever she shares "teacher pins" on my Pinterest board, or when I glance at the multitude of books, binders and project ideas that she has collected and says, "All of this is for you, someday."
When she was a teacher herself, she decorated her classroom with "homey" touches that included lamps, pillows, beanbags and even bouncy balls. The walls were splashed with student work and everything - and everyone - had a place to belong. Her current office that she holds as an assistant principal obtains the same organized, warm and inviting ambiance that I wish to present in my future classroom. I have so many ideas, plans and resources, and it's all because of my compassionate, generous and amazing mom.
I hope that someday I will be able to effortlessly balance loving connections with high expectations. I hope that someday I will be able to persevere through obstacles in the classroom to demonstrate that handwork and patience goes a long way. I hope that someday I will be the kind of teacher who inspires my students to become teachers. I hope that someday I will be just like you.
