My Path Of Becoming A Teacher

As a future teacher I was very intrigued that I was able to go into the classroom and do hands on activities with the students. I was able to do my field placement hours at an elementary school that provided numerous opportunities for me to work with kids and gave me a chance to broaden my horizon with some new ideas for teaching. Overall I was able to focus on motivational skills, diversity, testing, I got the chance to work with children with learning disabilities, I was able to see the way the teacher interacted with her students, and much more. Although it seemed like 20 hours was a lot, I enjoyed being able to be in a classroom and prepare myself as a future teacher.

As I progressed through my undergraduate career, I spent my summers teaching literature, history, and reading at Breakthrough Collaborative in Miami. The program strives to bridge the educational gap of minority students through summer enrichment courses, college visits, and post-secondary education planning. After three summers at Breakthrough, I realized that education is how I want to leave my mark on the world, deciding to pursue a career in teaching. The past year and a half I have been teaching at KIPP Delta Collegiate High School in Helena, Arkansas. My first year I taught three courses in English I

During the time of my undergraduate education I was uncertain about what I wanted to do in life. As I was approaching the end of my undergraduate education, I re-evaluated what my passions were and how I would be able to use that passion to take care of myself and also impact the lives of others. As a result, I came to the conclusion that teaching, whether in primary, secondary, or post secondary institutions was what I was called to do. Growing up, I was blessed enough to encounter teachers who impacted my life in tremendous ways that have, as

Eight years ago, I was sitting in front of a computer in tiny cubicle running my fingers across numbers and straining my eyes across stacks of paper checking to make sure every graphic, commercial, and TV rating aired in its rightful spot. While I took being a Log Specialist seriously and did my best to execute what was asked, I was lost internally. I knew that I was meant to do more. That’s when I made the decision to pursue a career in education. I was unsure about being a teacher in the beginning. After I finished getting my Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education at Mercer University, I remembered what it felt like to enter the classroom for the first time. I was scared and nervous, but I was determined to succeed.

What does it mean when someone tell you they want to be a future teacher? Some may think you’re making a mistake; saying teachers don’t make a lot of money or have terrible benefits. Being a future teacher to me isn 't about the money or the benefits, it’s about the satisfaction of seeing a child learn something because of you. When someone tells you they want to be a future doctor it 's because they want to help people, that’s exactly what a teacher does---helps people. Teachers are the stepping stones to any career you want to do, without teachers who would you look towards for guidance on how to do anything in life. Being a teacher is my goal in life and I intend on being the best that I can.

Life experiences convey knowledge to people. Having a lot of experiences helps us improve our way of thinking. It opens our minds and teaches us memorable lessons, lessons that we are able to apply in the future. Every decision we make, every action we produce, helps create the experience of this moment and the next. When reflecting on this semester of Education-1301 Introduction to Teaching, there have been so many new experiences, so many new connections, and so much that I have learned. The experience of this course has provided me with various of frameworks that will improve my way of thinking. I’ve learned many excellent qualities in the short time of this class. It has shown me to be a better educator and take the knowledge I have gained and practice for the future. I have learned a tremendous amount of knowledge about the teaching profession. I have enjoyed working with teachers and have gained some beneficial experiences that will help me in my journey to becoming an educator.

My motives for becoming a teacher, the roles/jobs of a teacher and students, My goals I want to achieve, The goals I want to achieve are making every student’s parent’s happy and giving the students the best education and I want them to want them to come to school and be engaged in the class.

Today I had attended my first class of the Summer 2017 semester. I enrolled into the course EDUC 252 for multiple reasons. One reason for taking this course was that it is a requirement for the Bachelor of General Studies (BGS), an undergraduate degree program at Simon Fraser University (SFU), and this course fit perfectly into my busy schedule this current semester. Another reason for my enrolment into the course EDUC 252 was my pursuit of becoming a teacher. I believe this course will help me as a prospective educator with providing me with various opportunities to develop myself as a reflective practitioner. I have been interested in becoming a teacher for as long as I can remember. Unlike many other children who often had a list of aspirations when growing up, I was adamant on the fact that I wanted to become a teacher and would always announce “when I grow up, I want to be a teacher.” I believe this is a result of the positive impact that my former teachers had on my educational experiences. These teachers played a significant role in my life, helping me to build and accomplish my educational goals. Some of these teachers, I still keep in contact with. For example, over the last few months, I have been shadowing and volunteering in my former Kindergarten and Grade 6 and 7 teachers’ current classrooms.

The teaching profession is a rewarding career that I enjoy every time I step into the role of an educator. My current employment requires that I wear many hats at a preschool, but I long for day when I have my own classroom. Following a reading lesson, I taught last Tuesday, I was overcome by two emotions, excitement and vulnerable. During the reading lesson, students were asked to read Thunder Cake with their reading partner while I pulled a small group to read of readers. When students finished reading the story, Thunder Cakes they were instructed to write two questions for their reading partner to answer. While reading with a small group of students, I became aware of the need to walk around and monitor all the groups. However, I was not sure how to assess all students’ learning when I was reading to a small group of my own. It was at this moment that I felt vulnerable. My Cooperative teacher and I discussed my dilemma and how she pulls a small group as well as monitors the class. Teaching the reading lessons for Thunder Cake, was an exciting experience. I was awed with the fact that I was responsible for ensuring students understood the standard; how the characters influenced the events in the story. The one-hour lesson left me perplexed and excited to face the challenges ahead as I prepare to become a future teacher. One day, I will trade my role as a preschool teacher and enter my dream of becoming an elementary school teacher.

I am a hardworking, sport loving, fifteen year old girl who values and respects my parents and their rules. The manner in which my parents were raised has tremendously impacted my life and how they raise me. They support, encourage, and assist me through all of my life decisions, good and bad, and they have put a sense of honesty, and a thorough understanding of right and wrong into my life.

As I progress in my undergraduate studies, I find myself growing an appreciation for education and lifelong learning. I did not always know that I wanted to be an educator and perhaps I did not initially choose this path for the right reasons, but throughout this process, I have found that I have had a change in the source of my motivation. When I first stepped foot into the classroom as an educator, I was intimidated, I was nervous, and I had doubts in my decision to spend the rest of my life standing in front of a classroom, teaching a room full of children. It was not until I was able to make a connection with each of the students that I began to realize that teaching is so much more than being an instructor. Teachers are an inspiration; teachers are supportive; they are a positive influence, an academic advisor, a life coach, and are encouraging; teachers are not just an instructor. Through my various field placements at Newcomer Academy, Louis E. Dieruff High School, and Southern Lehigh High School, including my teaching experience at Lehigh Valley Summerbridge, I have established a desire to teach a diverse group of students from various economic and cultural backgrounds. My teaching philosophy is developed to foster an environment that supports these types of learners.

“All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination,” said by Earl Nightingale. What is important about my future? I always have a plan. Even it is just going to the store, I have to a list and a game plan. I know everything in life will not go according to plan either. My first twenty four years of life have been a big mess, and I’m still trying to get on the straight and narrow completely. But let me tell you about my main goals in life.

Throughout most of my life, I’ve always thought that being a teacher would be fun, especially teaching middle school students. I would get to interact with kids while I help them learn. The job title that I would have would be a middle school teacher. My major qualifies me for being a middle school teacher, but I could also teach other elementary grades (“How to Write a Teacher Job Description.” Jobs, ). “Middle school teachers educate students typically in sixth through eighth grade” (“Summary”). I chose this career because I think middle school is the most important time in a child's life. Middle schoolers need guidance, and teachers help them. It is important to understand the education or training requirements, skills or talents needed, salary or benefits offered, and the duties for a particular career when making the decision.

I have often thought about my own educational experiences that lead to my choice in becoming a teacher. I have many positive memories about my previous years of school and a few negative ones too. Could it be the atmosphere of my school, my peers, the amazing teachers, or even the bad teachers that guided me to my decision? The reality is that all of those experiences lead to my decision in becoming a teacher. Some of my teachers became mentors, while others I shrugged away from in the hall. Many of the other students became friends that would help push me to become the person I am today. Most importantly my education was made great by the community and families that also surrounded the school.

As a senior here at UNI, I am very anxious to start my student teaching experience next fall. I hope to be placed in an elementary classroom because I am an Elementary Education major with minors in Literacy and Educational Technology. I hope to incorporate both literacy and technology into my lessons and prepare my students for the future. I have always wanted to be a teacher because I loved school as a child and even played teacher when I wasn’t in school. I enjoy being around children and love to see the excitement in their eyes when they learn something new. I am creative, caring, and passionate and I believe these characteristics will help me to become the best teacher I can be. I have always told myself that my main goal as a teacher will be to change at least one student’s life for the better and help them see that learning can be fun. I want to show students that school can be enjoyable and teach them learning techniques that will be beneficial in the future. I believe that teachers are extremely important in this world because it helps people enter all different kinds of careers and without teachers, these other careers would probably not exist.