I
can recall multiple times during my childhood being told by grownups that I
would make a wonderful teacher. Many of them asked me if I wanted to become a
teacher when I grew up. I always found myself saying that I probably did not
want to teach. At the time teaching did not seem like an exciting job for me. I
was surrounded by teachers every day of my life, so why on earth would I want
to become one? Realizing that teaching was for me was a long and slow process.
Now that I am here I cannot imagine having any other major. Becoming a teacher
and being around children and in the classroom is right for me, and it is where
I feel at home.
Little
children melt my heart. I love watching them explore the world around them. More
than once I have found my date laughing at me at a restaurant because my focus
had shifted to the adorable children at the table across the room. I am drawn
to children, I love interacting with them, answering their questions, and
hearing their giggles. I enjoy getting down to a child’s level and watching the
spark in their eyes during those “ah-ha’ moments when they finally figure
something out. I am passionate about watching and helping children learn.
It
is often said that, for children, play is their work. I believe that the world
is starting to forget this. I have personally observed many people push
academic learning onto children at a very young age. They expect them to sit
down with their books and to learn. I know that playing is the best way for young
children to learn. Through play they will learn their alphabet and they will
develop their reading skills. They will learn about science as they build with
blocks and cook in the kitchen. Children will learn math as they group toys
together and play with water. Something that many adults view as simple play is actually intense learning time for young
children.
I want to be the person that is guiding a child's learning and
holding their little hands as they come to understand the world around them a
little bit more. I want to be that teacher that sees everyone's differences and embraces them, not just the students who look different because of their race. I want to be the kind of teacher that does not let ANY child fall through the cracks or become invisible because their needs are not met. I want to be the teacher that inspires her students and instills a love in them for learning.
On a separate note... blogs can be a wonderful source for teachers and they can help teachers get through classroom problems, help find new books for the classroom, help think of activities to incorporate into lessons that are hands on, etc. Here are a few links to some awesome blogs that can help in teaching!
