Why I Want to Be A Teacher

* I wrote this  after graduating from high school in 2005. I'm working on an updated "Why I Want to be a Teacher" to  analyze my growth from high school.

Everyone has a dream, an aspiration to make a difference, and mine is to be a teacher. I want to teach the art of language and literature at the secondary level, and it is my opinion and belief that every student has the potential to excel in these fields of studies. It would be a tremendous honor and challenge for me to help guide them along the way.

I have aspired to be a teacher since grade school. I was lucky enough to have teachers who left imprints on my life that taught me not only about the academics, but also about morals such as character, determination, teamwork, and commitment; all of which are important to me today. I hope to instill these morals in my students because they will be able to apply them both inside and outside of the English classroom. Along with writing and grammar skills, students will be spending a lot of time discussing and comprehending (together) the meanings of stories and poems. Knowing the symbolisms of works of literature will bring students to a higher level of understanding and appreciation for the material, and will be working closely with their peers. I plan to create a learning environment where my students will feel comfortable with the material being taught and enjoy it at the same time.

I want to teach not only because of my passion for the English language and the beauty and art that is literature, but to help young adolescents understand the meanings beyond the book. Although reading and writing call for mechanics, there is also a lot of room for creativity. It is so important to encourage students’ thoughts and ideas so that they are challenged to think for themselves instead of quoting from the text. As a result, it becomes a fun learning experience for everyone. To me, learning should be fun; not fun and games, but fun in a way that motivates students to want to learn. Anyone can read out of a textbook and assign the various exercises, but a teacher, a good teacher, will go beyond the curriculum to give her students as much knowledge and insight as she possibly can. This is my goal. I have heard about the pure joy and feeling of ecstasy that comes from seeing your students succeed, and that is definitely something that inspires me to be a teacher.