When you were younger, didn’t it seem that teachers just lived in school? And that they had no life other than in the classroom and giving endless amount of homework?
Even now, when I ask the young ones I babysit, they think the same about their teachers.
Looking back at those young days and those crazy conversations with friends about teachers, it makes me wonder WHY and WHAT inspired me to become a teacher?!
Teaching isn’t easy. It takes time effort and LOTS of energy. But, it’s fun. It’s interactive. It brings a smile to my face when the students actually begin to understand what I teach. But more than that, I know that when they’re older they’ll remember what they learn or the fun activities that they did and smile. That is what makes me keep on going.
I taught and mentored students in an after school program I created with an organization called LYHEP, it was the most rewarding experience of my life. The kids I thought knew very little English, and as the weeks went by, they began to understand more and more. Eventually, saying hello and goodbye, good morning and good night, became second nature to them.
It’s really heartbreaking to hear some of my friends, either in the art field, business field, or any other field, that someone who is a teacher failed at what they wanted to really be. That’s a big misconception and it gives the really passionate teachers a bad name. When someone loves to teach, you know it by the dedication they have to their students, the parents and the way they keep working hard each year.
Sometimes the students are funny. Have you ever tried to master not laughing at a very funny situation because it’s your job to be neutral? Exactly, that’s how hard it is. Or how hard it is to not empathize and say ”Yeah, don’t worry about it,” when you know that they need to do better. It’s not an easy job, the good thing is that teachers are not robots. They can laugh and enjoy their time teaching, they can mentor and help guide students and most of all, teachers play a very important role in nurturing the student’s ability to grasp concepts, face challenges and find what they like to do and know what they need to work hard on.
That’s what inspires me. The students inspire me. My students learning and grasping the English language inspires me. And their bright faces or burst of “YES!” along with jumping or laughing of pure joy. That keeps me going.
You must have a teacher you loved in school. Can you remember them?
Related articles
- Reflection 14 : Sharing Session (mmselmath.wordpress.com)
- Passion of Teaching (mmselsectionc.wordpress.com)
- Learning from a Happy Teacher (mmselmath.wordpress.com)
- Last but Never Least (mmselmath.wordpress.com)
- How to Make The Class You are Teaching More Interesting and Effective (socyberty.com)
- Letters: Measuring the Value of Good Teachers (nytimes.com)
Pingback: Many Great Teachers « valrfederoff