Editors Note: This teaching student story essay was selected from BrainTrack's Teaching Schools Scholarship for fall 2009. At the time of submittal this entrant was studying for a Bachelor in Teaching at Texas A & M College in Texarkana, Texas.
Wishes Had Known |
Program Likes/Dislikes |
Choosing Teaching
What do you wish you had known about selecting and entering your teaching school that would be helpful to others going into teaching?
The advice I would give to someone entering the teaching program would be to check your classes. I think it would have been helpful if someone had told me that some classes may not transfer from a junior college to a university. I also wish that someone would have told me to check with the school I plan to transfer to and be sure of the classes that were required. I did not do this so I ended up taking extra classes that I did not need. I learned a lot that I would not have gotten if I had not taken the extra classes, but I could have moved on to others that I did need.
Finding the right class can be very difficult if you do not know what you are doing. I am so glad that at the university they give us advisors. This has helped tremendously. I don not have to stress or worry if I am taking the right or wrong classes now. I look forward to my classes now especially without all of the hassle. Losing credits and taking too many wastes time and money. I have learned my lesson and if anyone were to ask I would tell them to check and then check again.
What have you enjoyed most and least during your teaching degree program so far?
My favorite aspect of the teaching program so far is the observations. I absolutely love being in the classroom with the students. I love helping them discover the answer and seeing their eyes light up when they work so hard to find the answer and then it all falls into place. I know every time I do an observation that this is where I am supposed to be. It just feels like I fit into the puzzle there. The students enthusiasm and determination at such an impressionable age never gets dull. I always feel rejuvenated whenever I leave an observation.
My least favorite part of the program would be the lecture only classes. I really like the hands-on activities where we actually participate in our own learning. In one of my education classes, each student was given a chapter and we were supposed to teach the lesson. The class and I enjoyed that a lot.
What led you to choose teaching as a career path?
I decided to become a teacher during my final year of high school. I was in a community service class that was designed for the students to give back to their communities. I volunteered at daycare centers helping out where I was needed. I volunteered for a Kindergarten class for a month. I read to the students and help the teacher during centers. Then I was asked to work in the special education department. This is where I became passionate not only about teaching but special education as well.These individuals inspired me and I came to know and love each of them. They all have needs and goals just like mainstream but they really hold something more for me. I learned so much about who I am and who I want to be in the time that I worked them. I volunteered for over one hundred hours and I even attended a few field trips with them.
All students are special but to these students that means so much more. I want to be the one who gives them hope and help them realize they should have goals too. I want to teach them to be proud of their accomplishments no matter how small the milestone may seem to someone else. I know I have so much to give and I want to make a difference in their lives.I hope to help these individuals become respected and valued members of their community.
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