I have learned in my 15 years of teaching that it's all about the kids. Kids do well when they can, and a very important part of my job is to understand whether or not they CAN do well at any given moment. Does this take a tremendous amount of energy and intuition? YES!!! Is it worth it when you see the light bulb go on or that AHA moment? It's more than worth it. It's what drives me, what fuels me, what compels me to continue doing what I love--to teach.
For me, teaching is a passion and not a profession, a calling and not a career, and it's what gets me up in the morning and sometimes keeps me up at night. Yep, it keeps me up at night because I love my students so much that I am constantly thinking of them and what I can do to help them.
Had you told me when I was in high school that I would someday be a teacher, I would have outright laughed at the comment. But here I am. What changed the desire to major in some science field, possible pre-med? I've always loved kids, but having three kids of my own was the catalyst that set me on the journey of becoming an adult non-traditional student in pursuit of that much coveted teaching license. Those three kids, as well as my husband, became my cheerleaders, my encouragers, my supporters, and my believers that I would, indeed, achieve that goal of becoming a teacher. And, as they say, the rest is history.
Was it easy? NO!!! It was one of the most difficult things that I have ever undertaken. Was it worth it? More than words can describe. That journey taught me much about perseverance, tenacity, determination, and just plain getting one foot in front of the other on days when I would rather have done ANYTHING than school work.
And the best part? The journey is not over! As a teacher, I am still very much a committed learner, a lover of books and new information, and a wisher of dreams come true for the students that I get to call "my kids" for an entire school year.
I have learned that dreams come true, hard work pays off, family is everything, and kids rock. I have also learned that dreams must be worked on to maintain. I have one huge word on a wall in my classroom: BELIEVE. That one word says it all. To see the world through the eyes of a child is a privilege that I do not take lightly, and to believe like a child is something that should be practiced daily by all adults.
In short, I have learned that I didn't choose teaching, it chose me......
For me, teaching is a passion and not a profession, a calling and not a career, and it's what gets me up in the morning and sometimes keeps me up at night. Yep, it keeps me up at night because I love my students so much that I am constantly thinking of them and what I can do to help them.
Had you told me when I was in high school that I would someday be a teacher, I would have outright laughed at the comment. But here I am. What changed the desire to major in some science field, possible pre-med? I've always loved kids, but having three kids of my own was the catalyst that set me on the journey of becoming an adult non-traditional student in pursuit of that much coveted teaching license. Those three kids, as well as my husband, became my cheerleaders, my encouragers, my supporters, and my believers that I would, indeed, achieve that goal of becoming a teacher. And, as they say, the rest is history.
Was it easy? NO!!! It was one of the most difficult things that I have ever undertaken. Was it worth it? More than words can describe. That journey taught me much about perseverance, tenacity, determination, and just plain getting one foot in front of the other on days when I would rather have done ANYTHING than school work.
And the best part? The journey is not over! As a teacher, I am still very much a committed learner, a lover of books and new information, and a wisher of dreams come true for the students that I get to call "my kids" for an entire school year.
I have learned that dreams come true, hard work pays off, family is everything, and kids rock. I have also learned that dreams must be worked on to maintain. I have one huge word on a wall in my classroom: BELIEVE. That one word says it all. To see the world through the eyes of a child is a privilege that I do not take lightly, and to believe like a child is something that should be practiced daily by all adults.
In short, I have learned that I didn't choose teaching, it chose me......