Reasons to Become a Teacher

There are so many reasons why someone would choose the career path of becoming a teacher...I have heard from all of my teacher friends that you don't do it for the money, you just do it because you love it. According to the website http://k6educators.about.com/od/becomingateacher/tp/whyteach.htm these are the most popular reasons to become a teacher:


1) The energizing environment
2) The schedule
3) Your personality and humor
4) Job security
5) Intangible rewards
6) Inspiring students
7) Giving back to the community


Not every teacher will agree with all of these reasons, but they were important factors to me when making my decision about my career path. First and foremost, I love children. I feel it is my calling to work with them, and I am most comfortable with elementary school kids. Everyone who knows me thinks I am naturally good with kids. I just seem to "get them"...I have a lot of patience, feel that I can explain things well (especially to children) and make things fun.


Of course things like a teacher's schedule and having the summers off are perks, but I think that most people don't realize how much work a teacher puts in outside of school hours. I know that most of my friends who are teachers do a lot of planning and correcting at night, and spend school vacations and summer to further their careers and take more classes. I am really prepared that I won't have as much time off in the beginning as most people would think, especially since it will take a while to get into the swing of things.


The biggest reason for me to become a teacher is because it is so rewarding. How many people can actually say that they love what they do and that they make a difference in someone's life? Not many..people may love what they do, but teaching is one of the few careers where someone has so much influence in one person's life. I still remember the best teachers I ever had. They helped to shape who I am today.


I have several friends that are teachers, and I asked them what inspired them to become teachers. This is what they had to say:

Tiffany
"I went into teaching because I have always loved school and learning, and I wanted to be in an environment where that was the primary focus. I also love that teaching is never exactly the same day to day or year to year, and you have to be able to think on your feet. Finally, I truly enjoy building relationships with the kids I teach."


Michelle
"I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher... every ounce of me knew even though at times I tried to fight it... it's hard to say the exact reason. I guess I wanted to be the one to get to the students that really struggled and to validate the unique thinkers. I wanted to help them establish a love learning and feel good about themselves as they went through their education. These initial feels often still drive me today."

Louise 

"I went into teaching because I grew up loving the idea. I think it was because my mom was a teacher and I went with her to school alot. I loved the idea of helping others learn."

Megan

"I went into teaching because my Kindergarten teacher told me that I would make a great teacher someday because I liked helping people, teaching people new things and watching children get "that teachable moment" that they have been struggling on for weeks. I don't expect anything in return, but just knowing for one minute, I made a difference in a kids life"