Growing up, I always had a positive response towards school. Well, mostly positive. Truthfully, I would have enjoyed it even better if I could have slept an extra hour or two. I enjoyed the academic challenges that were often thrown my way, and loved the opportunities that high school provided me. I worked hard, set goals for myself, and truly loved my environment. This adoration has led me to pursue a degree in high school education, more specifically, in the field of English. However, thanks to the immense amount of negativity surrounding such a field, my decision to pursue this career has not always been welcomed with enthusiasm. In my two years at a university I have heard the phrases, “But you won’t make any money” or “You’re too smart to go into Education” or better yet, “you’re going to hate your job after two years.” As a future teacher, it’s sad to see so much negativity surrounding my future. In light of that, here’s why I’m excited to become a teacher, despite all the adversity.
One reason why I want to become a teacher is because I am passionate about the subject area. For as long as I can remember, reading books has been my favorite thing to do. No joke, Barnes and Noble is my favorite place on the planet. It’s like I walk in there and all of my problems melt away. I also enjoy writing, not just academically but for fun as well. I believe that a successful teacher must be passionate about what he or she is instructing. I personally have witnessed teachers who loved what they were teaching, and those who did not. Teachers who do not seem to love their job do not exude a positive energy and the students will notice. Why would the student want to learn if the teacher clearly doesn’t care about the material? While my love for all things reading and writing may not translate to every student, I can guarantee that it will make my classroom more enjoyable and comfortable to learn in.
The best part about becoming a teacher is getting the opportunity to personally touch the lives of so many students. Growing up, there are teachers that I will remember for the rest of my life - in a good way of course. I want to be that for a future student. I want to be someone that teaches life lessons as well as the material. For example, in my classroom I will encourage debates on certain parts of our lesson, in hopes that they will learn the importance of respecting the opinions others. That’s just one example but you get the point. Education on a surface level may seem purely concerned with academic material only, but really teachers are meant to teach so much more than that.
I can’t wait to have the opportunity to have my own classroom. While the constant hate surrounding the teaching profession can be hard to deal with sometimes, I’m confident that I am going in the right direction. Teaching won’t be easy, but I am ready to take on the challenge.
