I did not start out wanting to be a teacher. I had always wanted to be an engineer. I went to college to be an engineer and worked as an engineer for 10 years before becoming an educator. I was already an EMS Instructor. My mother was a teacher and my sister is a teacher. I had not thought about being a teacher until Winter of 2002. I was working part time and volunteering as a paramedic, as well as working full time as an engineer. I was at EMS chatting with my partner, who was a high school chemistry teacher, and talking about careers and I told him that I love teaching EMS classes and wondered about a teaching career. As we are talking, he notices an ad in the paper for the State's Alternate Route to Certification program coming up that summer. I applied, passed everything and became a high school Physics teacher and 10 years later I'm still a teacher. I've gotten two Master's Degree's in Education (Technology and Leadership), have my own educational blog, write for Tech&Learning Magazine, facilitate professional development in my district and present at educational conferences.I truly enjoy my new career.
People often ask me why I left engineering to become a teacher. They are usually pretty shocked considering the huge pay difference (I still don't make what I made as an engineer 10 years ago). I stated that I had always loved it as an EMS Instructor and as a Boy Scout Merit Badge counselor and thought that I would have something to offer my students with my experience as an engineer. I also figured that my 15 years of experience working in EMS in the city I would be teaching in would give me a good insight into the students' lives and home situations.
I have enjoyed teaching. I love helping students to learn something new, experience something new, and explore things. I love watching them work on labs and projects and seeing the light go off as they discover something. I love hearing them work through problems and projects. I love sharing things with them. I love listening to their stories, hearing about their lives and their dreams, and I love helping them with things that have nothing to do with my class. I love being a mentor to teenagers. I love sharing my love of science with them. I love showing them how smart they really are and what they can accomplish. I love hearing about their successes. I love working with them.
I love working with educators who truly care about students and want to make a difference in their lives. I love collaborating with other educators to come up with lessons, activities, and ideas for helping our students.
What I don't like about teaching is a mix of issues. I don't like the disrespect that we deal with on a daily basis from students, parents and administrators. I don't like students that don't follow the rules, cause trouble, are disrespectful, and don't do their work who face no consequences to their actions and continue to cause trouble. I don't like administrators who pick on teachers instead of helping them. I don't like endless, useless meetings. I don't like politicians and business persons thinking that they are experts in education and dictating what we do. I don't like standardized testing that is invalid and a waste of time and money. I don't like that I spend over $500 a year on supplies and resources for my classroom because the school systems and government don't adequately fund schools. I don't like that my pay is very low, considering my education and responsibilities. I don't like the current "edreform" movement that is not doing anything to help students, but rather is helping private corporations.
I don't like educators who don't care, don't enforce rules, and don't try to constantly improve what they are doing as educators. I don't like administrators who don't support their teachers.
However, everything I like completely outweighs what I don't like. I can't imagine not being a teacher. I endure the disrespect, the constant attacks on my profession, the low pay, the working at home, all because I believe that I can help students learn, grow, and succeed.
Why did you become a teacher? What do you like and dislike about the profession?
Related:
Just the Facts Please! The facts about "education reform" from NEA Today
Incompetent Teachers or Dysfunctional Systems? Fix the system to support the teachers.
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