Hello fellow coffee drinkers!
For this month's espresso shots, we will be chatting about why we became educators in the first place. We all have that moment in which we knew education was the path for us, so we'd like to share that moment with you! While you're reading, think about why you became a teacher, too!
.
Our first Espresso Shot comes from
Secondary Sara! Sara says,
"I was an all-around nerd... spelling bee, creative writing team, you name it. But in addition to loving all things "school", I always felt that my teachers were rock stars. They were incredibly smart, kind people who went the extra mile for us, and I wanted to be just like them. The more I watched them, and the more I learned in my degree programs, the more I wanted to carry on their passion for English. My goal now is to model that love for the written word and empower students to love and master it too."
-Secondary Sara
The next Espresso Shot comes from Jackie of
Room 213! Jackie says,
"I come from a long line of teachers, so you could say it's in my genes. I played school as a kid and always loved learning, but in my teens I was convinced I would never be a teacher. I took journalism in my first year of university and to make money, I did lots of tutoring. When the university year was over, I did some substitute teaching in my mother's school. I soon realized that these activities were more than just jobs: I loved working with others and coming up with interesting ways to help them learn. It's been a passion for me ever since and I've never once doubted that it was the perfect job for me." -Jackie
Next up is
Stacey Lloyd! Here's what she has to say:
"As with many incredible teachers, I have always known that I was destined for the world of education. I knew when I was 5, playing ‘school’ with my sisters. I knew at 10, when I tried to grade my mother’s shopping list. I knew at 12, when I always wanted to stand on a stage and be the center of attention. I took a little detour in my teens and tried to deny the teacher in me, claiming that I was meant to be an engineer, but one quick job-shadowing trip to an airplane factory later, and I was back on track to being an educator by the time I was 18. Now, I can’t imagine ever doing anything else. Teaching, with all its challenges and frustrations, invigorates me. I still count it as an absolute privilege that I get paid to do what I love." -Stacey
Brittany from
The SuperHERO Teacher remembers:
"When I was a sophomore in high school, my English teacher/coach helped me through a time that had the potential to break me. She reminded me that I was smart, driven, and creative, and that no matter the circumstances, I should refuse to give up. From that moment, I knew I had to pay it forward. I knew that even though I was unsure of the content area I wanted to teach, there was a place for me in the classroom. I felt a need and desire to make a difference in my students' lives, just like she made a difference in mine. I've never once regretted my decision to choose education as my career path, and I can happily say that I've lived up to my promise in helping my students through challenging times." -Brittany
Shey,
The Classroom Sparrow explains that
"I have always had a creative knack and I felt teaching was one career that I would be able to use my creativity to help students learn. Saying that, when I entered university, I did not exactly know my career path. It was not until a few years in when I realized that I could use my creativity to design and plan lessons that students could not only relate to, but also be engaged in. However, my first form of "teaching" began way back when I was in the later years of elementary until the beginning of high school, where I instructed and taught kids how to skate. This was my first 'real' teaching experience." -Shey
The next Espresso Shot is from
Addie Williams. She explains that,
"Growing up I never thought I would be a teacher! I wanted to be a travel agent, tour guide or park ranger... and it was not until I was almost 30 that I realized that teaching was my true calling. I was lucky to have some unique and incredible jobs (I swam with sharks, climbed volcanoes and adventured at a National Battlefield) before coming to the conclusion that I loved to share my passion for learning with others. Now that I'm a teacher, I couldn't imagine doing anything else and my students love to hear about my crazy adventures before I decided to join the profession." -Addie
Danielle from
Nouvelle ELA shares:
"I was the bookish kid, the class librarian in 4th grade, and the one who was in the library during lunch in high school reading Victorian poetry. Gladly a nerd, and feeling no shame! However, I knew that not everyone could understand why I loved it all so much. Every time one of my English teachers gave us any sort of project where we could teach the class anything, I relished in the opportunity to share my passion. Seeing interest and curiosity in my classmates eyes when I retold Beowulf with bongos or connected Harry Potter to mythology made me want to keep sharing every day of my life." -Danielle
Bonnie from
Presto Plans adds to the conversation: "
The thought of pursuing a career in teaching didn’t cross my mind until my first year of university. I took a summer job working at an English as a second language program that housed students from over 40 different countries. I lived on campus all summer teaching classes, planning events, and working to improve my students’ language skills. It wasn’t long before I realized that this job no longer felt like work. I looked forward to my classes and loved the connection I was making with my students. I immediately joined on to start working for the program part-time during the school year and my passion for teaching only grew with each class I taught. I am so grateful for this experience because it led me to a career that I absolutely love." -Bonnie
Last, but not least,
The Daring English Teacher says,
"As a small child, I used to spend countless hours during the summer playing school with my younger brother. I created worksheets for him to complete, wrote comprehension questions for movies we viewed together, and even attempted to teach a six-year-old how to write a paragraph. Combining my love for school with a my passion for reading and writing, it isn't surprising to me that I became a high school English teacher. I became a teacher because I loved school (so much that it was one of my favorite games to play), and I wanted to share that love for education, reading, and writing with others." -Christina
Thank you all SO much for reading! We would love to hear why you chose education as your career path, so be sure to comment!
