When I was a kid, I used to play and pretend to be a teacher while my younger cousins would also pretend to be my students. We do it every weekend and it was so much fun. I think those events in my life became my motivation to become an educator. Of course, like everybody did, I also thought it would be simple and easy like a walk in the park.
During my childhood, I was so sure that I really want to be a teacher in the future, probably because a lot of my friends also wants the same and probably because we have no idea of other options out there. But when I entered high school, I became more informed about other professions that I didn’t know they existed. Did I have a change of heart about what to be in the future? Well, as person who is easily influenced by my surroundings, definitely yes. I thought of choosing a business course. The reason would be absolutely peer pressure. But when I talked about it with my parents, they kind of disagreed. I don’t remember their reason anymore but mostly it’s financial. My father encourages me again to become a teacher instead, just like him. That’s right, my father is a teacher. I was not completely against their decision, probably because I have that mentality that if I choose to become a teacher, it would be like a walk in the park. My parents even gave me the final decision. But I have no idea what do that time, so I was kind of thankful I knew what my parents would want me to be in the future. So their advice was a huge help to me in giving me a direction in life, to be a teacher even though I was not sure if I’m going to like it.
When I was preparing my requirements for the entrance exam, my friends are still questioning my decision. That’s when I felt the judgement against teachers. They are giving me the look as if I just walked away from having a well-appointed life. Well, that’s another stereotype for teachers. They say, If you’re a teacher, you won’t get to live in a luxurious life. They even say, becoming a teacher is only for those untalented and have no choice in life. I was hurt by those words. It made me think again If I really wanted it. But I get this feeling that all those stereotypes and misunderstanding about teaching needs to be corrected. I want to try and become a teacher myself so I could tell if those things are correct. So with all bravery, I set aside those things people say about teachers and proceed with enrolling in college.
It took me four years to finish the course. Studying was never my hobby so the four years of doing it was a no joke. Right after graduating, I was lucky to be instantly hired as a private teacher. I thought, this is it. I am really a teacher now, class adviser even. And then realizations hit me so many times in the head. My job is not what I, or everybody thought it was. Not easy, not simple, and not for untalented people just like what they say. And it’s definitely not just a walk in the park.
I struggled the first 3 months of my work as a teacher. I find it hard to adapt with the real-life situations inside the classroom. But during the times I was having a hard time, I was also learning. Even though I am the one who is teaching, I was also learning something new about my work and from my students. So am I enjoying it? Yes. The work itself is hard but at the end of the day, it makes me happy to see my students learning from me.