One of the most important aspects of life is discovering who you are and what path you want to pursue in life. Often many people struggle with these big questions; however, I was fortunate enough to have a support system to help me explore myself and my interests. This support enabled me to find a profession that highlights my strengths and fulfills my goals in life. I discovered that I wanted to be an educator when I was in grade 10. This discovery was fueled by my family, the beliefs they had instilled in me, and my experiences at school alongside my peers and past teachers. Each aspect has led me to explore my identity as a future educator.
Growing up, I was always really close to my mother’s side of the family, the Sawatsky’s, my mother’s family name, and the Wiks,’ my grandmother’s family name. This closeness was partly due to the fact that my parents divorced when my brother and I were quite young. My father had little contact with his side of the family, thus we were more acquainted with my mother’s side. My great grandfather was the first generation to become a teacher and the first person in our family to get a formal degree and a bachelor’s in k-12 education. The second and third generations to receive their bachelor’s degree in education were my grandmother’s younger brother and his youngest daughter. I will be the fourth generation of teachers in my family, and I feel incredibly proud to pursue such an impactful and fulfilling career.
Throughout my childhood, each teacher in my family had shared many stories about the joys and the challenges of their career as an educator. My great grandfather reminisced fondly about one student in particular. The student’s name was Heitzie, he immigrated from Germany and had a very thick German accent. My great grandfather adored Heitzie’s mischievous humor and can-do attitude. Thinking back on the time I spent with him, reminds me of how much he genuinely cared for his students. His stories always filled the room with laughter and like him, I want to inspire students and connect with them just as he did.
Over recent years, I have noticed a decline in respect for teachers, it is as if students take everything that educators do for granted. It might have been because so many of my family members are part of the teaching community, but I have always held the highest respect for teachers and education in general. My mom has always taught me that knowledge is power and that the ability to learn should be valued. While that may seem cliché, it is incredibly true. Today, it has become an expectation that a person has a high school diploma or a degree of some kind to get hired for a well-paying job or to live comfortably. Now that is not to say that without a high school diploma you will never get a job, but it certainly helps. Education is not to be taken for granted as there are many still fighting to have the simple right to learn. I was taught that family and school are to be valued more than anything else, and I live by this and devote myself to my studies. Another belief that my family has instilled in me is to help in whatever way you can because your kindness and consideration could make all the difference. I have applied this principle in whatever way I could, whether that was volunteering at my local church, selling raffles to fundraise money for charity, delivering handmade food packages to those less fortunate around my community, or just simply devoting time to singing in the church choir. I feel as though any small deed can make a significant difference, even if that is just putting a smile on someone’s face. It is the small things that count.
My interest in teaching was amplified when I took my first steps as a high school student. While I do admit I was completely and utterly frightened at the thought of a new school environment and so many new people to meet, I eventually found myself and I was able to embrace my interests. Now I would not call myself a teacher’s pet, but I was well-liked among my teachers and peers. I spent most of my high school career in drama productions, improv tournaments, and or creating who knows what in the art room. Everyone always has that one teacher that they vividly remember, that either impacts them in a meaningful way or that made school a little less than enjoyable. For me, the teacher that solidified my desire to pursue education as a career was my art teacher, Mrs. Lach. It was during my grade 12 year when everyone was stressing about Covid and online learning. I was in her AP Art class working on my submissions for the class and my artist’s statement, which I based my pieces on. The pieces I was working on described the strained relationship between me my father and the emotions I felt as a result of the abuse I experienced. Mrs. Lach was there through the entire artistic thought process of these pieces and encouraged me through the days I felt my pieces were inadequate, lacking, or did not reflect my skill level. She reassured me in times of doubt, listened to me when I needed someone to talk to, and always set me straight if I needed it. I respected how Mrs. Lach handled the classroom and how she interacted with the students. I aspire to be as elegant and understanding as her one day.
In conclusion, there have been many crucial factors that have shaped my views regarding who I am as a person and what I want to pursue. My family shared stories of their experiences as educators and instilled the value of kindness and the opportunity to learn and attend school. As well as the influence that my teachers had on my decision to become an educator.