Reflection 1 – Why I Am Considering This as a Profession

From the time I was a child, I heard my parents sharing about their days at work. As teachers,
they would talk about the new student in their class who made a friend or the student who
normally struggles that did significantly better on their last test. They would ask each other for
advice on how to help a student who had a challenging home life beat the odds and thrive at
school when it seemed impossible. If they weren’t talking about their day, they were planning,
marking student work or finishing report cards. It seemed as if they were always doing
something in regards to teaching. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but now when I think
back to those days, I can see that it was in those moments I realized that I, too, wanted to become
a teacher. Through the stories of my parents and my own school experiences, I became very
aware that the qualities of the teacher made a tremendous difference in a student’s ability to
succeed.

Throughout my school experiences, I had the opportunity to have many excellent teachers.
Unfortunately, I also had experiences with teachers who were not as very effective. It is both the
poor quality and the excellent teachers that have inspired me to pursue a carrier in teaching. The
teachers that made learning a difficult experience gave me the urge to become a teacher so that
students who came into my class could learn in a safe, engaging and motivating environment.
The teachers that taught lessons in a passionate, exciting and thought-provoking way were those
who inspired me to teach as they did. They inspired me to teach in a way that would keep
students thinking about the material taught even after the class has ended.

One of the qualities I appreciated about my excellent teachers was their ability to explain things
in a manner that I could understand. As a student, I was not normally the one that caught on to
the material taught the first time it was explained. It was the teachers that took the time to clarify
and reexplain concepts that made it easy for me to be interested in the content they were
teaching. It is important to be aware that not all students learn in the same manner. Some learn
more slowly than others and some need a different explanation to latch onto the material. As a
teacher, it would be my responsibility to be aware of that and to cater to those different learning
styles to ensure that each student is learning to their full potential.

Some of the best teachers I had were those that made me work the hardest. They made it clear
that we, as human beings have room to grow. It motivated me to know that I have to work hard
to open doors for myself because no door that is already open will give me the same satisfaction
as working hard to open one for myself. Those teachers had an immense impact on the way I
perceived challenges. They made me seek challenges, rather than run from them and overcome
them rather than let them control me. It never really occurred to me the impression a teacher can
make on a student, in retrospect, I realize my teachers really were the ones that motivated me to
excel. I know that in this profession not every student is motivated in the same way, but it excites
me to know that I can play a role in enhancing a student’s drive to succeed. Understanding what
motivates each student to excel will be a challenge but no challenge is impossible to overcome if
the outcome determines the success of a student.

What motivates me the most in terms of pursuing a carrier in this profession is knowing that I
can make a difference, especially for students who may not have the support system necessary to
help them thrive. It is encouraging to know that I can create a classroom that will make school
the safest and happiest place for a student. I want to be the teacher that a student can come to for
academic or emotional support. I want to be the teacher who is attentive to a difficulty a student
might be going through. I especially want to be conscious of the fact that I may not be seeing the
whole picture but that I can make sure that the time they spend in my classroom or at school will
be a time where they can feel safe and included. Having a part in a profession that can make such
a difference to the lives of young people is something that really appeals to me.

Reflection 2 - A Good Teacher Is…

I believe that my definition of a good teacher could be completely different than that of another
student’s. It all depends on how we learn and best form relationships. When I think back to the
good teachers I had, they were all very knowledgeable and conscious of my learning needs. Most
importantly, in my opinion, they had a good sense of humour.

A teacher’s knowledge can be key to the success of students’ learning. I did not respect a teacher
that didn’t understand the material they were teaching. Some of the worst teachers I had seemed
as if they didn’t know answers to question except for those in the answer keys. This was very
frustrating. As a student, I was not motivated to learn if they themselves hadn’t learned the
material. Now as an aspiring teacher, I feel like I owe it to all my students to master the subject I
am teaching. Even if it means long hours of learning on my part, it would be worth it so that a
student would never have to feel the way I did in those classes. The best teachers I had were
those that were a master in their subject. Not only did they have unsurpassed knowledge, but
they were able to share that knowledge in a way that made it easy to learn. I find that some
teachers I had may have been smart, but they didn’t know how to teach. When I finally had
teachers that could properly communicate what they knew it inspired me to learn.

A great teacher is also aware of the learning needs of their students. As a student, it really helped
when a teacher was aware of my learning needs. Sometimes my teacher was more aware of my
needs than I was myself. It just showed how much they paid attention to each one of the students
that came into their room. Although it is one thing to be aware of a student’s needs, it is another
thing to take action and plan for instruction accordingly. If a teacher can tell that you aren’t quite
grasping the material and they are willing to help you learn it in another manner, it makes you
feel like they really care.
My most memorable teachers were those who had a sense of humour and made learning fun.
When they made mistakes, they could laugh it off and when we made mistakes, they taught us
how to laugh it off. When teachers had a sense of humour it made it easier and more interesting
to sit through their class. Most teachers I had were too focused on moving forward in the course
to have time to laugh. A teacher that comes to mind when I think of someone with a sense of
humour is my grade 11 English teacher. She was knowledgeable and aware of students’ needs
but she always made time for laughing and having fun. Out of all of the classes I have taken, her
class is the one in which I learned the most. I can remember things from that class that have
helped me to this day. Not only did I learn about literacy and English, but I learned a lot about
myself. She was a teacher that taught me how to make a life, not how to make a living, and to
this day I couldn’t thank her enough for how much it has benefited me.

Essentially, from my own perspective, a good teacher is one who is knowledgeable in the
subject, aware of students’ needs and has a sense of humour. As an aspiring teacher, I would like
to strive to incorporate these qualities into my teaching.