"Caitlyn, what are you going to college for?"

"I'm going to become a middle or high school teacher by the time I graduate college."

"Ew, I would never have the patience for that age. Why would you ever want to teach that age? The kids are so mean and immature at that age. Also, teachers do not get paid enough for the crap that they have to deal with."

Let me tell you why I am becoming a teacher.

At one point or another, everyone has been annoyed by, hated or loved a certain teacher in their educational career. Students hate their teachers because "they don't understand what their going through" or "they feel like teachers give homework to ruin their lives." Most students don't understand the vital aspect of a teacher's role in our society.

Just try to think about a teacher's day. They wake up in the early morning hours to arrive at school at least one hour before the school day officially begins just to prep for their classes for the day, grade tests, create study guides, tutor students or hold meetings. Once the school day officially begins, they teach the same lesson to their students three to five times in one day. After the day is over, they may be coaching a sport, leading a club meeting, teaching extra help hours, or having parent-teacher meetings. All of their work takes time away from their own family because they want their students to succeed just as much as they want their own children to succeed.

When a teacher says a wrong thing or gives out "too much work," students are so quick to judge them. Students do not give their teachers the benefit of the doubt and try to rationalize why they do what they do. There is a reason behind every action a teacher makes, and students should appreciate it. Although it may be annoying to get a decent amount of homework one night, your high school teacher is only trying to prepare you for college where you will have a minimum of three hours of homework per night.

While students are judging their teachers, they do not recognize how important teachers are when it comes to empowering, strengthening, and inspiring the next generation. The definition of a teacher is a person who educates students about specific subjects, such as math or social studies. But teaching requires much more than just giving a student an education. Teachers provide their students with the necessary knowledge to achieve goals in the next level of the students' education, whether it be tenth grade or freshmen year of college. Teachers encourage their students to step out of their comfort zone when they push you to answer questions more specifically or make you speak in front of the class, even though you may hate public speaking. They will listen to any of your problems because they genuinely care about your well-being.

Teachers often see students potential before they do and they provide resources and push you to reach your full potential. Although teachers are required to teach the "common core" requirements, they spend countless hours planning lessons to make boring lectures fun for their students. Their goal is to make learning fun for their students, not make it miserable.

My goal as a teacher is to inspire the youth and push them to chase their dreams, whatever they may be. I want to instill a passion for the things my students love in life, and help them create a path for their future. I want to help kids get through tough times in their lives. I want to make a difference in students lives who do not have the support system they deserve in life. My goal is to make a student happy when they are having a bad day. I cannot wait to become a high school teacher and make a difference in my students lives.