Why do we become teachers?

I came across a photo of a young girl not too long ago. She looked to be about four to five years of age. This girl, with auburn hair in a ponytail, held a cute smile and a clipboard in hand. This girl was a smiling because at the age of four or five, she knew her destiny – to be a teacher. This girl was me.

Even at the young age of four, I wanted to become a teacher. I would play “teacher” for hours in my room with stuffed animals and dolls lined up in rows on the floor. These were my students, patiently waiting with baited breath for my next lesson. Some of my fondest memories are of the days I spent in school. To this day, I can still remember the name of my Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Stevens, and even what she looked like. Over the years, I still played “school” in the solitude of my room, never wanting my friends to know for fear of being laughed right out of town. There are several teachers that remain in my minds eye and in my heart the best teachers in the world. Mr. Karoly and Mrs. Parker are my two favorites. I would love to find them and treat them to lunch and share how much they impacted my life.

So, why do we become teachers? Is it for the low pay, unmotivated students, overbearing parents, legal and political battles? No, I would venture to say that some become teachers because they want to change the world. Others do so because it offers promise of job security. Some simply have a passion about something and they just want to share that knowledge with others. I became a teacher for all those reasons. I wanted a fairly stable job with consistent, dependable income (even though it could be higher), family-friendly hours, and the opportunity to share just a little of the wisdom I’ve learned over the years with my students. Curriculum would be the catalyst for sharing this wealth of knowledge. My fiery passion for knowledge would keep me motivated and if I was lucky, I just might make a small yet positive impact on those that would hopefully change the world.

What I did not expect to become part of my reasons for teacher, were smiling faces hiding fragile hearts. Sharp minds struggling to conform to socially accepted norms, while cultivating their own independence. Young teens, in their zeal to become adults overnight, are teaching me the joys of childhood again. In the eighteen months since I have become a classroom teacher, I have encountered and endured many smiles, tears, triumphs, struggles, and a daily reminder of why I did indeed choose to become a teacher. I will never be rich, famous, or change the world. I will however, be but a brief and hopefully bright moment in the lives of people I am counting on to become rich, famous, or more importantly... change the world.