Why do you teach?

Hi to all,

Early in May, President Obama welcomed the 2014 National Teacher of the Year and other state finalists to the East Room of the White House.  The President said that it was an opportunity not only to thank the teachers present, but teachers all over the country for what they do.  The President honored Sean McComb, the National Teacher of the Year.  Sean is a teacher in Baltimore, Maryland at Patapsco High School.  He works with students in a college-readiness program that serves students who need the extra motivation and attention.  You can hear directly from Sean and watch him in action at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfoVOhVPYR0.  He is only 30 with 8 years of teaching and is quite inspiring.

After reflecting on this story, I began to think about my career teaching and all the wonderful memories I have stored in my mind. Why did I select the profession of teaching?

I taught because I got back so much joy from the students.  It was both a privilege and a blessing for me.  It was hard for me to articulate all the reasons, but it boiled down to having the power to change lives.

I am wondering what your answers are to this question.  Why do you teach?  And do not forget to share your answers with your students too.

Meryl Becker-Prezocki, SME

 

Comments

Hi Meryl and all, Thank you for posing this question. The ability to change lives is absolutely a central reason I teach. I would also say that my life is continually enriched as I learn from those I teach. One of the things I love the most about teaching is when a community of learning comes alive with learners supporting one another both inside and outside the classroom. It's also amazing when one person takes the risk to share their creativity, which often leads to a snowball effect with many others eager to demonstrate their creativity, too. Teaching makes life worthwhile in so many ways, and teaching in adult literacy education has been a joy and an honor for me for over 20 years!

What have been your particular joys in this work?

Cheers,

Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, Assessment CoP

Hi Susan and Others,

Thanks so much for your comments explaining why you teach.  I believe that successful teachers love people.  They love getting to know new folks and to share their passion for learning.  I love to work particularly with students that have learning challenges.  It is a joy to try to discover how to work around those challenges and conquer them.

Meryl

I was not a good math student in high school.  I usually was the student in the hallway before school asking who had done the assignment the night before and wondering if I could copy their answers.  Math was not something I enjoyed to do when I was in school.  Now, fast forward 10 years after my high school graduation.  I decided to go back to school to be an engineer.  I was a single mom and I wanted to have a job that would make money.  Unfortunately, engineers have to understand mathematics.  My first math class in 10 years was Trigonometry.  I spoke to the instructor and he recommended that I tutor math to help be refresh and to make some money, too.  So, I became a tutor.  I probably was a really bad tutor at first struggling to remember algebra but nevertheless people kept coming to me for help.  They really liked how I made the math make sense and I tried to relate it to their lives.  I really liked how I could help other people understand math.  I later changed my major from engineering to mathematics.  I am a teacher because I enjoy igniting the spark that helps them accomplish and reach their academic goals.

Brooke