Why I Want To Be A Teacher?
It's hard for me to express why I want to become a teacher into words. Some days when I think about all of the complications and jobs that a teacher is entailed to do, I suddenly become overwhelmed, but then other days I find myself dying for another chance to teach my students and to touch their lives. I don’t know what it is, but something inside of me keeps telling me that although being a teacher is not going to be just a walk in the park, this is what I am meant to do and what I am going to do for the rest of my life.
Teaching is much more than showing up to school, giving students work, and testing their knowledge of what they are or are not taught. To me, teaching is my passion. I’ve never had more drive for anything than I do teaching, and that includes softball. Softball has been in my life for as long as I was able to walk, and I’ve always put my max effort into the game. I have always strived to be better by always being the first one to the field and being the last one to leave; I have never been satisfied with my ability, which is why I am constantly looking of ways to better myself. These traits are what will make me a great teacher.
My first real experience of me wanting to become a teacher was when I volunteered for a 10 year old and under softball camp. I fell in love with teaching the youngsters knowledge that they didn’t particularly know, but more importantly, I fell in love with the relationships and sense of worth that I got from them. It wasn’t just me teaching them softball skills; it was me shaping their drive and will to do work. Because of this camp, I set out to find a job that would help me inspire people, the way that I have been inspired. It dawned on me that I wanted to work for a job that when people looked back at me, they would say, “Because of her, I didn't give up and quit.”
While I was searching, two major careers stuck out to me like a sore thumb; physical therapy (or pediatric nursing) and education. I went through and looked at the positives and minuses of each profession, but it didn’t really hit me that teaching was my passion and what I am meant to do until I took Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow (VTFT).
Last year was my first year in VTFT and I took this course so I could learn more about the teaching profession in a hands on kind of way. I also took sports anatomy last year to get a feel for physical therapy. I really enjoyed both courses, and it wasn’t until the second semester of last year when I decided that teaching was the profession for me.
On my first day of internship last year, I remember walking into that dim, earsplitting 7th grade classroom while dodging erasers and chairs, while also trying to talk to my VTFT I cooperating teacher. One of the kids even took a pencil off of his desk and hurled it toward me. Astounded, I froze as the pencil whizzed past the side of my head, nearly hitting me, exploding on the promethean board behind me. During instruction, the students seemed to be even more rebellious. It was as if they didn’t know what the words “quiet” and “listen” meant. I kept thinking to myself, “Why did I ever want to become a teacher?”
When the time came to give my first ever lesson, I was more nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, and if that’s not nervous, I don’t know what is. Uncharacteristically, the kids were soundless; they didn’t even mutter one peep. To keep the students from refraining from the good character they were showing, I resorted to their favorite thing to do, which was heaving candy at them to reinforce them for being attentive and cooperative. Remarkably, at the end of my lecture the kids stood up and gave me a standing ovation. They also passed my assessment that I gave to them, which means that they actually paid attention and learned. Never in a million years would I have expected that from these immense, unruly students.
Because I had such a bad class to start off my journey into the education field, one might have thought that this would change my mind about becoming a teacher, but it didn’t. It made my passion for teaching become ever more prominent because I have seen what the worse case scenario of a class is, and I loved being in there.
This year, I have found through my internship in the 1st grade environment that I love working with little kids. I have always had a passion for them, as I once wanted to be a pediatric nurse. I’ve noticed that I want to nurture each of my students and be the person that lifts them up when they are feeling down. I want to show them the power and courage inside of them, even if they don't always see it in themselves. I want my future classroom to be an exciting, but kind and family-oriented atmosphere that my students can think of as also a safe haven. I want my students to leave my class with more confidence, compassion, and enthusiasm for learning than when they entered it at the beginning of the year. I will teach my students the skills they need to know to succeed academically, and the skills they will need to love themselves and others. As a teacher, I will have the ability to change lives one at a time for the better.
Because of VTFT, I am ready to accept the challenge of becoming a teacher with my arms, mind and heart wide open.
Teaching is much more than showing up to school, giving students work, and testing their knowledge of what they are or are not taught. To me, teaching is my passion. I’ve never had more drive for anything than I do teaching, and that includes softball. Softball has been in my life for as long as I was able to walk, and I’ve always put my max effort into the game. I have always strived to be better by always being the first one to the field and being the last one to leave; I have never been satisfied with my ability, which is why I am constantly looking of ways to better myself. These traits are what will make me a great teacher.
My first real experience of me wanting to become a teacher was when I volunteered for a 10 year old and under softball camp. I fell in love with teaching the youngsters knowledge that they didn’t particularly know, but more importantly, I fell in love with the relationships and sense of worth that I got from them. It wasn’t just me teaching them softball skills; it was me shaping their drive and will to do work. Because of this camp, I set out to find a job that would help me inspire people, the way that I have been inspired. It dawned on me that I wanted to work for a job that when people looked back at me, they would say, “Because of her, I didn't give up and quit.”
While I was searching, two major careers stuck out to me like a sore thumb; physical therapy (or pediatric nursing) and education. I went through and looked at the positives and minuses of each profession, but it didn’t really hit me that teaching was my passion and what I am meant to do until I took Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow (VTFT).
Last year was my first year in VTFT and I took this course so I could learn more about the teaching profession in a hands on kind of way. I also took sports anatomy last year to get a feel for physical therapy. I really enjoyed both courses, and it wasn’t until the second semester of last year when I decided that teaching was the profession for me.
On my first day of internship last year, I remember walking into that dim, earsplitting 7th grade classroom while dodging erasers and chairs, while also trying to talk to my VTFT I cooperating teacher. One of the kids even took a pencil off of his desk and hurled it toward me. Astounded, I froze as the pencil whizzed past the side of my head, nearly hitting me, exploding on the promethean board behind me. During instruction, the students seemed to be even more rebellious. It was as if they didn’t know what the words “quiet” and “listen” meant. I kept thinking to myself, “Why did I ever want to become a teacher?”
When the time came to give my first ever lesson, I was more nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, and if that’s not nervous, I don’t know what is. Uncharacteristically, the kids were soundless; they didn’t even mutter one peep. To keep the students from refraining from the good character they were showing, I resorted to their favorite thing to do, which was heaving candy at them to reinforce them for being attentive and cooperative. Remarkably, at the end of my lecture the kids stood up and gave me a standing ovation. They also passed my assessment that I gave to them, which means that they actually paid attention and learned. Never in a million years would I have expected that from these immense, unruly students.
Because I had such a bad class to start off my journey into the education field, one might have thought that this would change my mind about becoming a teacher, but it didn’t. It made my passion for teaching become ever more prominent because I have seen what the worse case scenario of a class is, and I loved being in there.
This year, I have found through my internship in the 1st grade environment that I love working with little kids. I have always had a passion for them, as I once wanted to be a pediatric nurse. I’ve noticed that I want to nurture each of my students and be the person that lifts them up when they are feeling down. I want to show them the power and courage inside of them, even if they don't always see it in themselves. I want my future classroom to be an exciting, but kind and family-oriented atmosphere that my students can think of as also a safe haven. I want my students to leave my class with more confidence, compassion, and enthusiasm for learning than when they entered it at the beginning of the year. I will teach my students the skills they need to know to succeed academically, and the skills they will need to love themselves and others. As a teacher, I will have the ability to change lives one at a time for the better.
Because of VTFT, I am ready to accept the challenge of becoming a teacher with my arms, mind and heart wide open.
Click the file below to read my essay of why I want to become a teacher as a PDF.
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