Ever since I was a little girl I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher.

One of
my earliest memories is playing school with my two sisters who were my “students”. I made
lessons, printed out worksheets, taught on a white board, as well as handed out stickers when
they completed their work. If they ever “misbehaved” I would have to send notes home as well
as have conferences with their parents, who also happened to be played by my sisters. Of course
this was all pretend, but I never would have imagined that it would turn into me teaching actual
lesson plans today.

As a person I try to give everyone an equal opportunity and I want to bring this into the
kind of teacher I become. Growing up I realized that the majority of my teachers always called
on the same students in class. This may not seem like a big deal but the students that were chosen
were always the ones who were the most successful or had the highest grades in the class. This
included sharing answers with the class, being the student to read outloud to everyone, helping
the teacher with small favors, the list goes on and on. The teacher most likely didn’t realize what
they were doing or the impact it would have on their students. Being the person constantly not
chosen effects confidence and self esteem. Teaching lessons now I try to call on every student
that raises their hand as well as go around and talk to the students who are more shy one on one.
This way everyone feels their importance in the classroom as well as their thoughts being valid.

When I teach there is always a little pit of nerves at the bottom of my stomach, but this is
an important trait to me. That small bit shows how much I want to be there for my students and
for their success. I spend quite a bit of time on lessons and I care tremendously about how they
turn out. Lessons tend to be taught just because the school system tells teachers what their
students should know. Instead, teachers should be teaching their students for knowledge and
growth on a topic. There should be a feeling of responsibility by teachers to give their students
the most wisdom they can.

All teachers should constantly keep their students on their toes. My most memorable
lessons were always interactive. Sitting in class for an hour and a half copying notes from a
board while trying to keep up with the teachers pace and not even comprehending what the
words mean has no significance in a student’s life. I can guarantee that lesson will fly over their
head as soon as they walk out of the classroom. A good lesson plan should have variety. Notes
are super important for learning but so is incorporating other strengths into the learning process.
All students learn differently whether its visually, kinesthetically, linguistically, or
mathematically. By constantly shuffling the activities students are exposed to, they are able to
get a broader understanding and retain more information.

While I am certainly new to this profession and technically not even a teacher yet, I still look
forward to the future. The time I get to spend in the classroom now will only help me improve
and gain confidence in myself. I am already so proud of my students and love getting to know
them on a deeper level than just in the classroom. With more time I am sure I will learn new
things, but for now I am so happy to be doing what I love.