Jubilee Tai

Why Education?

Even at a young age I knew that some sort of teaching was in my future. As a second

grader I was always rummaging through the recycling bin looking for extra materials my teacher

threw away. I would bring them home and force my little sister to play “classroom” with me, I

was obviously always the teacher. The idea of educating and providing knowledge to others was

something I wanted to do, even at seven.

My senior year I was able to intern at a local elementary school with a second grade

classroom. Even though I’ve wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a second grader myself,

working with my cooperating teacher really confirmed that I wanted to be one. As I watched her

interact with the students and really inspire them everyday through her teaching, I couldn’t help

but want to be able to influence students just as she did.

I believe a teacher has to have a particular amount of enthusiasm to work with students,

especially younger ones. As an energetic person myself, I often see many other teachers with this

trait that are far more successful than their coworkers. I believe if a teacher is excited about

teaching, the students can only be excited about learning. Being a teacher also means to not

know what to expect. Everyday is different in a classroom and no day is predictable, no matter

how much planning is done. Being flexible is a vital skill that I believe I have and could help me

in my future education endeavors.

Brad Henry once said, “A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and

instill a love of learning”. This quote inspires me everyday because it perfectly describes what I

hope to do as a teacher. I don’t simply want to inform students of required material, but inspire,

ignite and instill.