Almost everyone we know has thought about being a teacher. How cool would it be to call all the shots, and have 100+ kids looking up to you day after day? As a kid, I always thought the most amazing part of being a teacher was right around Christmas time; the week before Winter Break would finally hit, and kids would walk into class with little boxes of chocolates, mugs, scented candles, gift cards, etc. to give to their teachers. If you really think about it, teachers are just as much a part of our lives as parents. We spend more time at school than we do at home, so developing some sort of a relationship with the faculty is pretty much inevitable.
All the talk about the presents and authority and sweets sounds pretty great, but there’s more to being a teacher than just the obvious perks. Obviously, one must be a very educated person to be able to correctly teach a classroom full of kids every day. Public school teachers must be licensed professionals, and are required to have at least have a bachelor’s degree and student teaching experience. Private school teachers do not have to be licensed but still need to have a bachelor’s degree.
Not only that, but there’s more to being a teacher than just, well, teaching. Not only are they required to mold young minds, but teachers must also develop a relationship of trust and confidence with their students. They have to be able to motivate their students, as well as be able to assist them with their educational and emotional needs. Teachers have a big responsibility in the sense that they have to take basic concepts and connect them to academic subjects such as science, math, reading, and more. Since America is a very diverse place, those who choose to be teachers must also be comfortable working with people of different religions, races, and ethnicities. Debbie Mosher, a fourth grade teacher at Middleton school, says that “a teacher needs to be flexible, compassionate, dedicated, tireless, organized, and intelligent. You are constantly thinking on your feet, making decisions and multi-tasking. You need energy for all this!”
The energy factor is especially true for teachers of a younger grade. Kindergarten and elementary school educators experience a heavy burden since they play a vital role in the development of children. Kindergarten teachers focus more on the basics such as letters and numbers, while elementary school teachers must start introducing the basic topics that students will study for the rest of their academic careers. Once the high school level is reached, students begin being exposed to real world topics. The hand – holding comes to an end, and teachers must send their students on their own.
“[Different grades] differ by the curriculum, but there are many things that are the same. All children want to be successful, want to be liked by their teacher, and want to be accepted by the group. How you go about doing this varies by the age, but it is a common theme throughout the years. As children get older, they bring more to their educational process,” says Mosher.
Some of you may wonder if being a teacher is the correct path for you. The what – if’s in following through with this profession is endless, but once again, Ms. Mosher, who has taught grades kindergarten – 5th, says that although being a teacher is frustrating at times, you’ll know if it’s right for you. “Get into a classroom and make sure this is what you want to do. You’ll know. Some people go into education because they think it will be a fun and easy job. This job is the hardest one I’ve ever had. You will work all day and then take work home to do each evening and on the weekends. There are days when it is frustrating and exhausting. But if you know this is what you want to do, then none of this even matters. Great teachers have a strong desire to be in the classroom and understand the impact that they have on their students. Do you like children? Do you like helping them learn? Are you organized and dedicated? Are you willing to work hard? I believe it is the best profession anyone can have but it’s certainly not for everyone.”
Although being a teacher can be difficult, it is known to be one of the most rewarding jobs available. Lots of us have heard the phrase, “the children of today are the hope of the future,” and teachers are the figures who guide students to be that future. Teachers do a lot for us; they essentially raise us, and that is a fact that needs to be acknowledged more often than not.
