August 19th, 2015... this is the day I started the journey of my career. I've known since a very young age that God was calling me to work with children. I have a passion for teaching children because I believe that you are not just teaching them simple skills to pass tests, but that you are forming a future society. To quote Mahatma Ghandi, "Be the change you want to see in the world." This quote speaks volumes to me, however as a future teacher, I feel the need to take this one step farther and not only be that example for my students, but teach them and give them the proper resources to become that change.
Teachers have a huge influence over their students. You spend 180 days out of the year and 7 hours a day with them, that equates to 1,260 hours spent influencing those students. Those students look to you for guidance whether in the form of questions or not. Teachers constantly have someone watching them during the day. This topic brings up something we talked about in class that I had not necessarily considered before our class discussion. Public Trust as teacher is.... HUGE! For a 21st century teacher this means something completely different than it did years ago. Children now have full access to the internet and to social media sites. The boundaries of trust for a teacher expand far beyond their 4 classroom walls, for a teacher public trust must become a way of life.
August 19th, 2015 was the first day of my introductory level Education course. It was also the day I was bombarded with information and questioned the career path I had dreamed of for so long. That night I sat down and truly thought about what my next step should be. I quickly came to realize as the girls I had babysat the entire previous summer messaged me explaining how excited they were after their first day back to school why I wanted to pursue this career. I remembered that I've wanted to become a teacher not because it's the best or easiest job around but because for me it is the most rewarding. This journey will not be easy all the time but in the end it will be always be worth it!
Colleen, I can totally relate to you in the fact that God has been calling me to work with children since a young age. I have two adopted sisters who are 7 and 5 so I have a strong passion for both children and missions. I did not know exactly what I wanted to do with my life, but recently the Lord has called me to teaching. I can not wait to not only teach children but have an impact on their lives and help influence the children.
ReplyDeleteColleen, the thing that really caught my eye in your blog was that you pointed out the exact amount of hours and days we as teachers will spend with our kids. It really challenged me to put that into perspective realizing how big of an impact I can make in my students lives. I agree with what you said about public trust as I talked about the same thing in my blog too. I think it is important we all have an understanding of it, because it could make or break our careers. I really enjoyed the Ghandi quote that you included in your introduction because its a really powerful statement. I think it also goes hand-in-hand with your conclusion paragraph and the sentences you talk about why you want to be a teacher. I like that you mentioned the girls you babysat talked to you about their first day of school because the kids I nanny during the summer did the same thing with me. It is moments like those that put a smile on my face and remind me why my future job is so important in a child's life. I agree that the journey will not always be easy, but it will always be worth it when we can see the difference we are making, even if it is just in one child's life. Good luck this semester!
ReplyDeleteStephanie Blackwell
Colleen,
ReplyDeleteYou have a very profound post. It is apparent that you have really internalized the point we were trying to make on day one. You have really thought this through, and I think it says a lot that you took the time to reflect on your decision on day one. Our job is not to scare you at the beginning, but to help you realize that this is not an easy job. As you have already discovered, it is very rewarding, but it's difficult at times. We want to prepare you for all of it, and you have already realized that. As you work through the semester, I challenge you to see every point of frustration or uncertainty as a point of growth. You already have that mindset. That is the mindset you need to be successful in a teaching career. Keep cultivating it, and you will find much happiness and satisfaction in your career!