When someone asks you what you're going to school for and you respond with education, the eyes get wide, they start sweating, they stumble on their words and the entire world just falls apart. OK, maybe it isn't that bad, but it is really close. People never understand why someone would go into teaching, until now.
1. To be someone's hero.
Many kids have such a diverse home life and environment. Some may have stable families while others may only have themselves. To be a teacher, you are someone's hero. Students look up to you and go to you for everything. They trust you. Even though their family or their environment may not be the greatest, they know they can come to school and you will be there.
2. To make a difference.
All teachers will make a difference that could be good or bad, but everything we take from their lessons and styles of teaching helps us as students and future professionals. We learn greatly from the teachers who work hard and put extra hours in for the students. We learn what we don't like in a "workplace" and what styles of teaching best help us to succeed..
3. That "a-ha" moment.
The thought of seeing a student understand and really get what is going on in the classroom is potentially one of the best feelings, because you as the teacher helped them get there and succeed. No reward is greater than seeing a student understand curriculum.
4. To be the favorite.
I can count on one hand the number of teachers from elementary to high school that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing, talking to and learning from. Two of these teachers and how they work are what made me want to become a teacher. As a recent high school graduate, there was nothing better than seeing a teacher really passionate about their curriculum and really strive for the students to learn. One day when I am a teacher, I will hope to be just like that. I want to be the favorite teacher that people look up to and enjoy learning from.
So when these people go into panic mode when you announce that you are an education major, just ask them this:
Did you have a favorite teacher that changed or influenced you in any way?
If they say yes, they will soon understand why you chose to be a teacher. Why you chose to make a difference.
Thank you to all teachers out there.
