How Did I Wind Up On The Path To Education?

 

      "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This was the golden question growing up. My answer never once changed throughout my childhood, awkward middle school years, or even my high school career. I graduated high school and entered my first year of college knowing exactly what I wanted to do with my life. People always criticized what I considered my dream career to be. I was always told, "You'll never make any money as a teacher," "You need to go into the medical field because that's where the money is at." First off, anyone that is currently a teacher or an aspiring teacher knows that you don't choose a career in education for the money. Secondly, I believe that if you choose a career path solely based on how much money you will make, then you'll be miserable. Money isn't everything. I chose to pursue my education to become a future educator because I love kids and love the art of teaching. As a teacher, you take young minds and shape them into successful beings, both in school and the world that they live in. What teachers do is absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to be a part of that.

     I had the amazing experience of teaching dance for four years at the studio I practically grew up in. I danced from about three years old until the end of my second year at the University of Montevallo. I taught young girls whose age ranged from three to about fourteen. This teaching experience really helped me to understand the importance of loving and caring for your students. It isn't only about teaching them the skills. By the end of each year, I had a relationship with each student, some of which I keep up with to this day. Each relationship was different in its own way and I believe that both the dancers and I benefited greatly from building those relationships. Like George Curous says in Innovator's Mindset, the most important part of a teacher's job is "Realtionships, relationships, relationships!"

     

     I was fortunate enough to have a teacher as a young girl who impacted my life more than she could ever know. My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Bates, is responsible for my love for learning and my inspiration to become a teacher. She came into our classroom every morning eager to be there and ready to teach. I, as a student, could tell that she truly loved her job and wanted the absolute best for her students. She always did her best to make our days of learning fun and to make each of us feel like we belonged. One of my biggest goals as a teacher is to make a difference in at least one child's life over the course of my career. I will always strive to make sure that my students feel important and to make sure that they know that they will always have my support, no matter where life's journey takes them.