Prompt: I am excited about becoming a teacher because… and, I am concerned about teaching because…
I am excited about becoming a teacher for many reasons. For one, I love working with kids and am excited to watch them grow academically and emotionally. This summer I worked at an overnight camp and got to work with a wide range of age groups and each week I loved getting to see them transform from Sunday to Friday. It was so cool to watch them come out of their shell and be silly and find themselves at camp. I felt such an honor to be a part of their experience and I loved every minute. This school year, I’m a staff member for one of the after-school programs and I have felt that same honor. Getting to be around the same kids for the last couple months, I have noticed some really incredible changes in their behavior and abilities. I really value the relationships I’ve gotten to create with the students and even on the hard days, I am so grateful to be a part of such a great program. So essentially, I am excited to watch my students grow and learn throughout the year and hopefully create impactful relationships with each of them. I am excited to build a safe environment for my students to be themselves and to feel comfortable making mistakes. I am excited to teach them all the social skills they need and give them the best advice and encouragement I can offer. I am excited for basically everything that comes with teaching.
I am concerned about teaching because of the time commitment. I am a very dedicated and timely person and I feel very passionate about becoming a teacher. I understand that teaching requires a lot of time and work and I’m just a little nervous about balancing my home and work life. Having a family is very important to me and being able to raise my own children is something I hope to be able to do. With teaching, I worry that I will struggle to turn off my teacher mode and turn on personal life mode. I worry that I’ll be thinking too much about my students and my work and won’t make enough time for my family or myself. I worry that I’ll get burnt out and tired and won’t know what to do. I worry that I won’t be good enough for my students or that they won’t like me. I worry that it won’t be long-lasting, and I won’t have enough support to keep me motivated. I think teaching is one of the hardest jobs in the world and I hope I can fulfill the needs of my students, while maintaining my own mental and physical health. I know that teaching can be very difficult, but I hope that within the next four years, I’ll have the tools to provide a great environment and live out my passion.
