Today in class I was asked a funny question. We were discussing different careers, and one of the students asked me why I wanted to become a teacher. For a second I did not know what to answer him, because for the last few weeks I have seriously considered quitting my job to go into a different direction. I kept quiet for a minute and then as if someone programmed me I told him the following:
"Teaching is in my blood. There is no greater privilege than to teach someone to do something and to see them succeed. I became a teacher because I love to share knowledge and I can't see myself doing anything else."
Personally I was flabbergasted by what I told him because for the last few weeks all I could think of was to quit my job and to start writing full time. To be honest, I have already written my resignation letter but something inside me has prevented me from sending the letter.
I was in hospital recently and during that time I had time to think. For the last twenty-six years I have given my all to everyone else except to myself. Often my own kids had to suffer because I was too tired to help them with their work because I was so busy with everyone else's kids. I'm lucky, because my kids turned out great, but I thought that it was time now for myself.
Time for ME to do what I love, and time to spend some precious time with my own child that is still at home. (My eldest son left for university last year, and coincidentally is also studying to become a teacher.) Obviously today I realized that I am just not ready yet to leave my job....YET..
This made me think a little about why I became a teacher in the first place. If you think about the whole concept of teaching then it is just not as glamorous as it sounds. Teachers do much more than just teaching. We are not only educators, but we are also nurses, "parents" (for someone else's kids), confidants, psychologists and even life-coaches.
Teachers always have to come up with innovative ideas to keep children interested in the work and that is not the easiest job in the world. Often it is extremely hard to keep these children focused, especially if you have numerous class interruptions and of course if the work is boring. Not all schoolwork is so exciting and there are just so many ways that you can teach someone about nouns and verbs.
BUT everything that we do, we do for the children and NOT for ourselves!
Obviously we feel great when a child succeeds, and we feel sad when a child fails, but our whole goal is to make life and learning as easy as possible for our students. We motivate children to do their best in everything they do, and we guide them in the right direction. We help them to achieve things in their lives, which they might not have been able to do without our help.
In today's life, the teacher often have to stand in for the parents who do not have enough time to spend time with their own kids. If a child gets hurt at school we are often the first on the scene and we have to stand in when there is no one else available. Kids come to us with their "teenage" problems and we have to deal with these issues, even if they are bizarre. (If you complain about having one teenager at home, then try having forty teenagers in one class.)
BUT we push through, and we are happy with the child when a child succeeds, because we know that we played a small part in that success.
As a teacher I am also constantly learning new things and the learning never stops. Being a teacher has taught me to be more patient. Being a teacher has taught me how society works and being a teacher has definitely taught me how to be more creative.
I am more than a superhero. Not because I don't wear a cape, but because I'm lifted up by the amazing inspiring kids that I teach.
You too can become a superhero!
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