It’s hard to confidently say that I knew that I wanted to be a teacher from a young age. It’s almost more of a fantasy than the reality of it. It was only until about 8 months ago that I decided to stick with my instinct and go into the Faculty of Education. I would go to my school counselor to get advice and hopefully be guided into something that interests me. I had taken many quizzes about my personality, what interests me, what doesn’t, etc. When I was in the middle of deciding what interests me, I immediately thought of kids. There are a lot of job options that I could do that involve kids. It was the tough decision of choosing between social work or becoming a primary educator. Still to this day I question myself as to if this is truly what I want my lifetime career to be. It’s such a big decision to make. I started thinking deeply into possibly pursuing a job as a counselor and be someone who people go to get help with their daily struggles. I quickly thought that as a teacher, I can still be that person. I know that when I was in elementary and high school, there were teachers that were like my second parents. At certain times they almost seemed like a counselor to me because of their advice and positivity that they always portrayed.
To start, I went to Jack Mackenzie Elementary School. It was by far one of the best experiences in my life. Every one of my teachers cared for me and made summer sound boring. I loved being at school with all of my classmates, and teachers. I didn’t love the schoolwork exactly, more so just the people I was constantly surrounded by. A few of the teachers that majorly impacted my life as an elementary student was my Phys-ed, Grade 3, and Grade 8 teacher. I honestly don’t think I can say I disliked any of my teachers. They all impacted me, some more intensely than others. My Phys-ed teacher was someone I went to if there was gossip in my grade, if I had a crush on a boy in my school, although he wasn’t too great at keeping that secret, and if I just needed a laugh from his jokes. We always did fun physical activities that allowed me to meet new friends and get out of my comfort zone. Following after is my Grade 3 teacher who I had for both Grade 3 and 4. She was always such a positive person and knew how to make each student have fun. We played many games and on Friday afternoons we would have “fun Fridays”. We were able to relax, hang out with our friends in the class, draw, or just do some homework. My best friend and I at the time would act like we were teachers and try to “perfect” our writing on whiteboards for when we were older and teachers. I guess you could say I was slightly interested in being a teacher at a young age although many different jobs came of interest to me from then to now. Lastly is my 8th-grade teacher who inspired me and always gave me advice for moving on to being a high school student. I never witnessed her being negative once. Not only was she my teacher but she was also my school volleyball coach. She always encouraged me to keep trying even when I felt like giving up completely. When our team would play a game, she never got frustrated or disappointed if we lost. No matter the circumstance she was always so positive. She would consistently say “Don’t worry, we will get them next time”. She made playing a school sport so enjoyable. My elementary school experience was sure a crazy one that I would do anything to do it all over again.
Moving onto my four years of being a Campbell Collegiate high school student. My first year as a Grade 9 student was very scary and I remember being so unbelievably nervous for the first day. At first, I felt like I wouldn’t fit in as there are so many new people to meet and teachers that I have never seen before. One teacher that instantly made me feel at home within the first one to two months of going to school was my homeroom teacher. Over time I became quite comfortable with her. She became my second mom at school. I only got to see her for about 15 minutes of each day but sometimes, those fifteen minutes would be the best out of my entire day. She was always there for me and would make sure that I was on top of all of my classes and assignments. If I was ever down whether it regarded school or just my personal life, she was always there to comfort me. I really strive to be the teacher that students go-to for comfort or advice. It is really inspiring to me to see teachers like this. My grade 11 math teacher is still to this day, a person that I will jump up in excitement to see. When I wanted to quit, she would be there to pick me back up on my feet no matter how many times I failed or struggled. I will always remember her as an amazing teacher because of the bond she made with me and others. One of the classes that I took for my full four years of high school was French. I didn’t even take it because I liked french that much, but more so because I enjoyed his way of teaching. He was by far one of the most entertaining teachers I have ever had. He made learning exciting and interesting. At the beginning of each class, we would listen to a very good french song and he would pick out 5-6 words that we would have to end up memorizing. I found it such a unique and relaxing way to start a class. I started to listen to french songs so much outside of class that I would know the lyrics. I would learn french without even knowing it because of how enjoyable the assignments and/or projects would be. He cared so much about his students and always built such great bonds with everyone. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to finish my fourth year of high school which is supposed to be the most exciting year to look forward to but I’m still happy I went there and met some very good teachers and made many new friends.
I never really thought of what inspired me to be a teacher. This assignment has by far enhanced my interest in teaching even more and has made me want to be the teacher that I looked up to when I was growing up. Not only have they taught me school-related topics but they have widely impacted who I am today as a person. I am someone who loves to surround myself with happiness and joy. I want to bring this certain aspect into my classroom to keep it a positive learning and teaching environment. The bonds that I will make with my students are going to be nothing but strong ones. I am determined to make that possible. I still have yet to meet many inspiring teachers in the future and can’t wait to learn all that I can to be the best teacher I can be. All of the teachers that I discussed above are all teachers I strive to be like. Their positivity, bonds they make with their students, their unique teaching methods, how they created a fun school environment, and more, inspires me to be an amazing teacher. They made each day more and more enjoyable. Teachers play a very big role in your life as you go to school for almost all of your life as a child and teenager. I hope to have very good bonds with every one of my students no matter the circumstance. My teachers growing up are who I look up to as I take on my journey to becoming a teacher.