Motivation to Teach: Why do I Want to Become a Teacher?
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
January 27, 2009
Maybe it was Mrs. Arkus, my kindergarten teacher, who made me a construction paper birthday crown with smelly stickers all over it. Maybe it was stern Mrs. Harland, my second grade teacher, who at only 5 feet tall scared the snot out of all of us. Whatever and whoever the reason, I was always drawn to the idea of becoming a teacher.
However, when I started college, I felt very lost about what I wanted to do with my life. I had so many interests. How, after only two years of college, was I supposed to pick a major? Picking a major meant picking a career. I wanted to become a teacher but felt my math and science skills were terrible. What if I had to take college courses in algebra and physics? I would fail for sure! I went with a degree in Mass Media. Who doesn’t like the entertainment industry?
After graduation, I got a job working for Sony music. That lasted only 8 months. I hated everything about the industry. The fast pace, cut throat, everyman for himself entertainment world was not for me. I regretted not dealing with the math and science classes I would have had to take to become a teacher and felt I made the wrong career choice. At that point, I decided to get my feet wet.
I applied for a position as a one-on-one aide through a local school district. I was hired and sent to work at a private school as an aide for a 2nd grade boy. I was in love! Everything about the job felt right. I had instant chemistry with the child and with the other children in the class. They always made me laugh and smile and, for the first time, I actually looked forward to work. The following year, I was offered an assistant teachers position at the school. Everyday brought new and welcome challenges. I would go from grading papers to breaking up pre-teen spats. I loved every minute.
I left the private school after a year to take a new position at a Montessori school where I’ve been teaching for the past 7 years. In total, I’ve been in the teaching field for about 10 years and I can honestly say that nothing in my life has ever felt more right. The constant praise from parents and co-workers only reinforces what I already know, that I’m right where I should be. For some, the question might not be why teach? Maybe it’s why farm? Or why be a banker? The answer is if you are doing something you love, doing it with passion and enjoying every minute of it like I am, then you are right where you should be to.
Long Island University, C. W. Post
January 27, 2009
Maybe it was Mrs. Arkus, my kindergarten teacher, who made me a construction paper birthday crown with smelly stickers all over it. Maybe it was stern Mrs. Harland, my second grade teacher, who at only 5 feet tall scared the snot out of all of us. Whatever and whoever the reason, I was always drawn to the idea of becoming a teacher.
However, when I started college, I felt very lost about what I wanted to do with my life. I had so many interests. How, after only two years of college, was I supposed to pick a major? Picking a major meant picking a career. I wanted to become a teacher but felt my math and science skills were terrible. What if I had to take college courses in algebra and physics? I would fail for sure! I went with a degree in Mass Media. Who doesn’t like the entertainment industry?
After graduation, I got a job working for Sony music. That lasted only 8 months. I hated everything about the industry. The fast pace, cut throat, everyman for himself entertainment world was not for me. I regretted not dealing with the math and science classes I would have had to take to become a teacher and felt I made the wrong career choice. At that point, I decided to get my feet wet.
I applied for a position as a one-on-one aide through a local school district. I was hired and sent to work at a private school as an aide for a 2nd grade boy. I was in love! Everything about the job felt right. I had instant chemistry with the child and with the other children in the class. They always made me laugh and smile and, for the first time, I actually looked forward to work. The following year, I was offered an assistant teachers position at the school. Everyday brought new and welcome challenges. I would go from grading papers to breaking up pre-teen spats. I loved every minute.
I left the private school after a year to take a new position at a Montessori school where I’ve been teaching for the past 7 years. In total, I’ve been in the teaching field for about 10 years and I can honestly say that nothing in my life has ever felt more right. The constant praise from parents and co-workers only reinforces what I already know, that I’m right where I should be. For some, the question might not be why teach? Maybe it’s why farm? Or why be a banker? The answer is if you are doing something you love, doing it with passion and enjoying every minute of it like I am, then you are right where you should be to.
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