Why Do I Want to Become a Teacher

Why do I want to become a teacher? As I see it, there is no other profession

where a human being can help another person help themself. A teacher has the

direct opportunity to make a difference, to change the future. I have been

told that I am an idealist. I want the best for everyone. I will set high

goals as a teacher and do my best to show each and every student that these

goals are within their reach. I will expect every one of my kids (students) to

want to learn and more importantly to understand. I want my students to fight

over the seats in the front row as if they were attending a concert and not a

math class. I know that maybe these outcomes are not likely, but they are all

possible and someday I hope to see it actually happen in my classroom.

An excellent teacher is not just someone who explains, not someone who

demonstrates, but one who inspires. An excellent teacher goes the extra five

miles. They can take any individual and make them believe, truly believe, that

their hopes and dreams are within their reach. An excellent teacher will not

let a student walk away until every question is fully explained and completely

understood, no matter how long it may take. If the day ends and the student

still has not understood the lesson plan, an extraordinary teacher would

brainstorm. He or she would think, “How can I explain this concept to John so

that he can understand it.” An excellent teacher not only coming up with one

answer, but a number approaches, just in case. An excellent teacher would

never give . Like the Energizer bunny, they would just keep going and going.

I am not too sure if I can become ever become the excellent teacher I have

described. I know I have it in my heart to help others, and I can absolutely

see myself devising ten other backup plans, just in case my lessons do not go

smoothly. But as far as having the energy to do so every single day, I do not

know if I am ready for such hard work and effort. I have had effective

teachers, but unfortunately only one has lived up to my standards of an

excellent teacher. I am not sure that I can measure up, but I definitely would

not waste an opportunity to try and fill his shoes.

The chance to inspire another human being is not an an opportunity, but a

challenge. There are too many educators that haven't been accepting this

challenge and it needs to change. Students go to school because they are

forced to. Many times learning is not top priority, but the teacher's job is

to teach. The scary thing is that the student is always learning, it just may

not be what the teacher is teaching. Since this is the case, a teacher must

not only know his or her content area, but they must also be prepared to teach

other things, "things" that may prove to be more valuable than knowledge

itself.