Why do I want to become a teacher?
I want to become a teacher because I really like the idea of being a mentor/positive role model for teenagers. Teachers have the ability to make huge impacts on their student’s lives, and these impacts can either be positive or negative. Being in a position to make a positive impact on someone’s life is something I really want to be a part of and that is the reason why I am perusing a career as an educator. I am a sociable person and I’ve always wanted a career where I could build important relationships with people and I think a huge part of teaching is building positive relationships. A large reason I became a teacher is because of a few past teachers I had in high-school. They would interact with us in a fun way and they looked like they really enjoyed their jobs. Life is too short to spend your entire career doing something you don’t enjoy. I also want to become a teacher simply because I enjoy the act of teaching and making people understand things they were once confused by.
Am I a teacher 24 hours a day?
Yes, I do think teachers are responsible for being a teacher 24 hours a day. Teachers have an incredibly important job and as a result, need to act professionally inside and outside the workplace. Kids are very impressionable and teachers have a responsibility to uphold positive beliefs and values, and this responsibility does not end once you leave the school setting. Early after I graduated high-school I really wanted to be a police officer. I sat down and had conversations with quite a few officers and they told me that being a cop is a job that follows you around everywhere you go, and you are always in the public’s eye. I think being a teacher carries the same weight, and is also like this. Being vigilant of how we act outside the school setting including how we act online is very crucial.