Why Anne Marie wants to be a teacher....

When I think about the reasons as to why I want to be a teacher, the influences that I have had in my life are what come to mind. Growing up, I was surrounded by educators. My mother is a teacher and two of my aunts are also teachers. I noticed growing up that my mother would never say, “I’m going to work.” She would always say, “I’m going to school.” When I was about eight, I asked my mom why she goes to school and not work, like most of the parents that I knew. She explained to me that she loves her job so much that she doesn’t consider it work. She looks at school as an adventure and opportunity to better the lives of children. Throughout the course of my life thus far, I have always aspired to have a career that I don’t consider “work.”

My passion for teaching goes beyond the influences of my mother. When I was in 6^th grade, I had the most excellent teacher a child could ask for. He is one of those teachers who make every student feel that they are special. He teaches in a way that enables all types of learners to be able to understand the material. Not only was I lucky to have him as a teacher because he helped me so much, he is the reason why I want to become a teacher. I know it sounds cliché and everyone has that special mentor but he has a lot to do with me choosing this career path. As I went through high school and college, I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to go into teaching because I was scared that I was going into this profession just to follow my mother, Then, I had another teacher that again, confirmed for me that I want to be a teacher. I stepped into my chemistry class with a lot of anxiety because science is one of my weaker points. As I progressed throughout the term, the professor that I had made me absolutely love chemistry. I looked forward to going to lecture and ironically enough loved taking the midterms and final because it was such a fun subject for me. This is another example of a teacher who had the ability to make students want to learn the subject; even if it is something that they aren’t necessarily good at. I aspire to be that type of teacher.

As I started my practicum classes that let me actually work with children, I knew that teaching was the right choice for me, my calling. I looked forward to spending everyday with the children that I worked with and loved making a difference in the lives of kids. During my spring term of my senior year, I worked in a pre-school class at a school called Bates where the OSU students run every class. It was a time that I felt like a teacher and my direct impact on children was a feeling I couldn’t explain. I remember talking to my lead teacher about it one day and I told her that no matter how rough of a day I was having, the smiles on the children’s faces everyday made it worthwhile. I can’t wait to be a teacher and I know I will never consider it work.