I never want to be a good teacher.

I never want to sit and teach just the

curriculum. Good teachers are never influential and students forget them and the
knowledge taught as they progress through their academic career. I've had over 40
teachers and attended seven different schools in my academic career and there are
only a handful of teachers' names I remember. The only reason their names are
remembered is because they exceeded the textbook responsibilities of being a teacher.
I never want to be a good teacher. If I can manage to teach ¼ of the way Ms.Pearly,
Mrs.Rountree, Mr.Duffy and Mrs.Nardelli do I will never be a good teacher; I will be a
great teacher.
Ms.Pearly was a preschool and kindergarten teacher who I was blessed with
having for both of those years of schooling. She represents the kindness and empathy I
wish to compel as a teacher. During those years of schooling my parents we're going
through a divorce. Ms.Pearly opened up her heart to myself and my sister and allowed
us to eat at her desk during snack and lunch. She also welcomed us in the building a
little earlier as our parents' schedule didn't allow them to drop us off at the mandated
time. During that time she sparked my love of reading. I was an early bloomer and was
able to read right off the bat in preschool, so she would introduce me to books of all
genres such as the ¨Biscuit Books.¨ Lending me every book she had my classroom so I
could take it home and read.to Not only did Ms.Pearly Teach me ABCs and how to
count to 100 but she inspired me when I was 5 years old. She was my role model. As
most five-year-olds didn't want to be dropped off I looked forward to seeing her every
single day. At the moment I may not have understood It at the time but she taught me
just about everything I could possibly imagine as a five-year-old about reading in
school. She sparked my love and passion for school and I can never possibly repay her
for that, but I can attempt to do the same for my students in the future.
Mrs.Rountree was my seventh grade math teacher. In a room full of students
who were undoubtedly smarter than I was, she pushed me to get the same grades and
learn just as much as the other students. Our relationship was much deeper than
equations and algorithms. She truly cared about how my grades were and the learning
that was being done in her classroom. She taught in ways that were different from other
teachers in order to grab the attention of her classes and have her classes retain the
information. She pushed me harder and harder as the year progressed and stayed after
school in order to help me pass the Math SOL. Four years pass by and suddenly she's
a teacher at my high school. As Math is not my strongest subject I was inevitably
struggling again. She took the time out of her schedule and her family life to stay after
school and tutor me even though she was not my teacher at the time. Some days when
I didn't have a ride home she would even drop me off at my house. Mrs.Rountree is a
teacher that I could still go to today and would receive help with open arms. She is a
teacher students are able to put their trust into as she wants the best for them,
academically and personally.
 Mr.Duffy and Mrs.Nardelli are teachers who teach completely different subjects
but have one thing in common that makes an extraordinary teacher. They both hold
incredible passion for their profession and truly want to influence students as best they
can. Mr.Duffy was my 10th grade algebra 2 teacher and Mrs.Nardelli is my Virginia
Teachers For Tomorrow (VTFT) teacher. When these teachers teach students, the class
is able to feel the passion and love they have for their subject which influences students
to do better and really make an attempt in their classes. As we've already established,
Math is not my strongest subject. Mr.Duffy taught differently than I'd ever seen before.
Although many classes may have been boring and some students may not have been
interested, we all tried our best in that Algebra 2 class as we knew Mr.Duffy truly cared
about what we had learned and how we did on our tests. Mrs.Nardelli Is hands down
the best teacher I've ever had. Although she has taught different subjects than VTFT, I
truly believe her passion for her students is only seen in a few teachers at that school.
She does everything she can to make our lives easier even if I may be a bit more
difficult for her. She connects with her students academically as well as personally and
it's truly passionate about helping us thrive as future teachers. Mrs Nardelli takes time
out of her day to come up and observe in the classrooms we are interning in and even
helps us with our lesson plans when need be. Simple things such as those may be a
part of her job description but, the support and love that she shows us in those times
definitely is not.
None of these teachers are good teachers. These teachers are great teachers
and are role models as to what I wish to be like in the future. Inspiring, caring and
having a strong passion for work are characteristics in each of these teachers that
influenced my decision on why I want to be a teacher.