Why I Teach...

As a student, I didn't feel a connection to education through my school or my teachers, but rather through the process of learning. I loved gaining new insight and knowledge, whether through reading or listening to others. I would spend hours in the library after school and read any book I could get my hands on. Of course, for those of you who are younger than me, you have to remember that during my education, the age of the internet did not exist to me yet. I was not particularly happy with my home life, so I would escape into the lives of others through literature. Reading wasn't just my hobby, it became my passion. Now, as most of you can imagine, this did not lend itself to popularity, but that didn't matter to me much. I was labeled as "the smart kid," simply because I enjoyed learning, not necessarily because of my grades (of which I did not discuss, but yes they were good). I felt a discussion of my grades would only add to my unpopularity. My love for learning did not become a good thing until college, when I was immediately surrounded by people who shared my passion for knowledge.

Yes, I love kids, and yes, I love being surrounded by children, but my main goal in teaching is to share my passion for knowledge with my students and help them ignite their own joy of knowledge. I love the fact that education is so different from my own, in that there is no rote memorization of facts that will be tested in a multiple choice format. Instead, we are aware of multiple intelligences and teach to many unique children rather than a group of faces. I love listening to a child share their passion of new knowledge. It is music to my ears, when my children say, "Guess what I learned today?" Understanding and using a multiple intelligences approach to teaching and assessing allows all students an opportunity to gain and share new knowledge through their unique intelligence strengths. I believe this change in education allows students to be excited about learning, and share their new knowledge with excitement.

I became a teacher, because the "aha, light bulb moment" of understanding is exciting to be a part of, questioning the world around you is admirable, and seeking new knowledge with passion and purpose is invaluable.