I'll just flat out say it: I'm proud to be a teacher. I love working with students and helping them achieve their potential. I'm a strong believer in the power of education. Where would we be without it? Recently, my grandmother passed away. She was born in 1920, and became a nurse in the 1940's. She chose to make nursing a profession even after she was married and was raising a family. Education was key to her success. Her early education built the foundation she needed to be successful in high school. High school taught her more specialized instruction, but it also reinforced the benefits of hard work and dedication to one's goals. Grandma decided she wanted to graduate with as many credits as possible. She made it, graduating with 20 credits instead of the 16 required in her day. As she pursued her nursing degree, she worked long hours and for a time actually lived at the hospital, rotating between classes and intern shifts. Her hard work paid off when she graduated, leading to a distinguished career of serving patients and teaching others about nursing throughout her life.
This story of my grandma acts as a tribute to the benefits of education. Through her efforts, she was able to achieve her goal of becoming a nurse. Because of her efforts, she helped countless people throughout her career, both through the nature of her work and through the example that she set. My firm belief in the value of education can be traced to my Grandma, and other fine examples like her. I know as a teacher I have the ability to profoundly affect people's lives, which is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I am pursuing my administrative endorsement in an effort to help other teachers inspire their students in a similar way. Education is a gift we can earn that we are obligated to share. Thanks grandma.
I enjoyed reading your post. It sounds like your dedication to education has deep roots. I have to agree I love being a teacher, and if I find at the end of this administrative program I find that I am going to leave the classroom for an office, it is going to be a very difficult choice. I grew up with my father as a teacher. He is still teaching at Cedar High School, and is well past the usual retirement age. I believe he is now on his 37th year. I suppose he started a burning desire with his family because four out of six have chosen to work in our nations school system. I teach at a middle school. I have a brother who teaches at an elementary school, and another brother who is currently pursuing a masters degree in educational psychology so he can work as a school psychologist. I also have a sister who graduated in FACS, but her career was cut short as she married and began raising a family, no doubt a high calling, but she would be a teacher too if it wasn't for that.
ReplyDeleteTeaching is a great profession and I enjoy working with the student each day. The difficult days have a way of teaching you more about yourself and how you can improve as well. It's great!
Angie,
ReplyDeleteWell said. Education is the key to the successes in life, and I agree with your declaration of being proud to be a teacher. We are engaged in a profession that allows us to open doors and illuminate paths to amazing destinations. Someone has to show the way, and I'm glad we have teachers like you to do it.
Standing ovation! Thank you for sharing your commitment to teaching, learning, and public education. 'Waiting for Superman' and other sensationalized media (e.g., the new PISA report) do not reflect well on the dedicated and passionate teachers that work tirelessly to make a difference in their students' lives. Many of us have ancestors that came from humble roots and worked hard - often making sacrifices we can't even fathom, to acquire an education and better their lives for themselves and their families. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your inspirational post! I think many of us who are committed to education came to that position because of people in our lives who embodied the notion that education is the great equalizer. Helping future generations to access their potential through education is exciting work!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!! I often hear those great motivational stories and have experienced them several times. Unfortunately I get bogged down with the negative things dealing with behavior issues and kids that are really struggling. I know that when those kids finally get it though the payoff is great it is worth the struggle.
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