Various influences and experiences have inspired my journey to become a teacher. Although I had a few career idea changes, such as wanting to become an educational psychologist or wanting to major in business, I have always come back to desiring to be a teacher. Through connections with children, family history, influential teachers, and classroom experiences, I have started my professional journey to become a teacher.

            I have been babysitting for years because I love being with children and planning activities with them. I feel that I have always had a good connection with children, something I value as a future teacher. When babysitting, I have learned to work with differing personalities and interests, and I have been challenged to be creative to find ways to keep all children engaged and interested. I have kept them interested with puzzles, card games, crafts and creative play rather than with electronics. I enjoy this process and feel fulfilled when they enjoy what we have planned together. Forming this mutual connection will be vital in my future relationships with students, and it is important to achieve a balance between being liked and being respected. I have come to the realization that I am happiest when working with children, and I want to be a positive influence and role model for them.

My family history is full of teachers. My mom is currently teaching, and my dad and grandpa were teachers, so I have always been surrounded by a passion for teaching and learning. I have heard various stories, and I have been in schools from a very young age, so school has always been a significant part of my life. Although I have only had the opportunity to witness my mom teaching in the classroom, the stories I have heard about my dad and grandpa’s experiences further influenced my decision to become a teacher. My dad always formed positive connections with his students, and he was an inspiration to many. He consciously did not pick favourites, making everyone feel included, even those who felt that they were not “popular.” His past students have told me that this is what they remember most about him. Next, my grandpa was a fun, smart, and incredibly patient teacher. He taught his subjects extremely well, and he could re-explain topics in multiple different ways to ensure understanding. After being vice principal, he decided to go back to being a full-time teacher because he missed the quality time with his students. I admire his passion for the students and the great connections he made with them. Lastly, my mom is an amazing teacher. I hear only great things about her. She is a huge positive influence on her students, and they never want to leave her class. Also, she receives greetings from past students whenever she meets them outside of school. All of these stories combined are how I want to be as a teacher. My family history is full of amazing, wonderful teachers who inspire me to be the best teacher I can be.

In high school, I valued the teachers who commanded respect while also being approachable. These teachers created a fun, safe classroom environment for everyone. I respected these teachers, and I was very comfortable approaching them with questions or concerns. Further, these teachers were prepared and knowledgeable in their subject area, and I admired this. Moreover, these teachers were fair and consistent with everyone. My positive connection with these teachers taught me how influential teachers can be. This showed me that I would also like to have a positive influence on young minds. I plan to model my own classroom environment in a similar fashion as these teachers.

            Throughout my middle and high school years, I had various opportunities to volunteer in classrooms, and these opportunities cemented my decision to become a teacher. I spent hours in my mom’s classroom, both inside and outside of school hours. I helped her set up her classroom at the beginning of the school year, spending lots of time researching unique classroom set-ups that would be beneficial to the students. I spent hours photocopying and putting together booklets and worksheets. Also, I read stories, ran math centers, assisted with worksheets, and helped with spelling. In addition, I volunteered during school activities like Christmas concerts and play days. Further, I spent hours in other classroom environments, too. I made connections with students at a nearby colony school, primarily working with the grade ones and twos. I assisted them with reading, sight words, and math skills. In addition, I engaged with them during recess, further developing my connection with them. These classroom experiences are among my favourite memories. When I realized how much I love being in the classroom working with students, I knew that this was the definite career path for me. While in the classroom, I was always with children, so I learned important ways to address any issues calmly and respectfully while also learning to make connections with them. This is an important aspect of teaching. By having mutual respect and making connections, the classroom environment is a positive one, and all the students and teachers can enjoy the learning experience together.

            Overall, becoming a teacher and starting my teaching journey is something that was always coming, even if I did not always know it. I love working with children and being a positive influence on their lives, and these are the factors that contributed to my decision to choose elementary education as my major. My passion for working with children and being in the classroom, along with my influential teachers and family history, all led me to my professional journey of becoming a teacher.