"A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank...but the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child.”
–Forest Witcraft (Professor of Denison University and Boy Scout administrator)
There are not many people that are able to say this. However, the profession of being an elementary school teacher gives the teacher the satisfaction of being able to have one of the most emotionally rewarding jobs in the world. Elementary school teachers guide children through a vital point in their lives. They help set the young students' foundations to prepare them for their future schooling in junior and senior high. Although being an elementary school teacher pays little and can be tiring or stressful, this career is still worth pursuing because teachers touch the lives of children.
According to the article "Elementary School Teachers," elementary school teaching started during 100 B.C. in Judah. It goes on to say that the children there were taught for religious training. As time passed, elementary schools became more common. In early Western towns, teachers would teach kids, sometimes ranging from first grade all the way to eighth grade, in one single classroom (“Elementary School Teachers,” Ferguson’s). Kids learned the same material despite their age differences (“Elementary School Teachers,” Ferguson’s). Teachers were also not properly trained. The only requirement for becoming a teacher was finishing elementary school (“Elementary School Teachers,” Ferguson’s). In 1823, the first normal school (a school that trains teachers) was opened in Concord, Vermont (“Elementary School Teachers,” Career Clusters). Nowadays ...
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... in other careers. Success is not defined by how much money one can earn. Rather, it is based on the achievement of a personal goal. When teachers are able to see the fruit of their labor in a student’s progress, they know they have reached a point of success.
Works Cited
Ecahore-McDavid, Susan. “Elementary School Teacher.” Ferguson's Career Guidance Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Echaore-McDavid, Susan. "Schoolteacher." Ferguson's Career Guidance Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
“Elementary School Teachers.” Exploring Career Clusters Online. Infobase Publishing. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
“Elementary School Teachers.” Ferguson's Career Guidance Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
“Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8 Jan. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
While some careers have a lot of positives, they can have many negatives to a career, some negatives to being an elementary School teacher are some children have a hard time calming down, there is a lot of organizing involved, grading papers, planning events, and buying class materials. These are all necessary because being organized helps class go by smoother, children have to get their grades and sometimes the school doesn 't provide necessary materials for class. Elementary School Teachers “are exposed to loud sounds and high noise levels on a weekly basis” ( “Working Conditions
"A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of."
" A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."-Unknown
Early childhood educators have a vital role in supporting development in young children. However, the needs of students are ever-changing and evolving to match demands of our current society. Because of this, teachers need to adapt and alter their teaching practices to match what students need to learn and how they should learn. Teachers do not have an innate understanding about education, teaching practice and what students are needing, instead teachers need to pursue further education in order to stay relevant and current in today’s education system. Teacher education is necessary for the success of students. The reforming and critiquing of past teacher education is needed as the demands of the classroom differ and the ability to teach and learn literacy is being impaired.
To begin out of the countless professions one has to chose from in the world today I have chosen to become a teacher. I have chosen to become a teacher because I myself am a product of some whom I consider to be the best teachers in the world. As a child in North Carolina I was inspired by a wonderful woman named Mrs. Hollyfield. Mrs. Hollyfield taught me that no star was too far out of reach, if I put my mind to accomplishing my goal I could make it. Mrs. Hollyfield inspired me to be the best I could be at anything I wanted to be. As I have grown I have had other important teachers, some whom I am surrounded by daily whom inspire me to set out to accomplish my dreams. These wonderful inspiring people in my life have led me to the decision of becoming a teacher.
Many people on this earth grow up saying they would like to make a difference in this world. However, half of those people do not feel like putting in the work in order to do so. As an elementary education major, making a difference is one of the main goals. There are many benefits of becoming a teacher, and students benefit as well. In order to have many students successfully graduate from one grade to the next a teacher should be willing to put in as much work that is needed. Elementary school is where children are set up for the rest of their education. It is important to understand how to go into this career field, becoming a teacher has its own benefits, and the children are able to benefit from teachers.
When choosing one's profession, there are always two important questions to ask yourself. Is it what you love doing, and is the pay going to be enough to support you? For me, the second question has never had much of an impact on my decision, along with most others who are educators or wish to become one. Teaching is not a job that one chooses to be rewarded for by the pay. It is a job that is chosen for the rewarding feeling of knowing that it is the most effective, and most enjoyable way one can change the world; therefore, if teachers are noble enough to sacrifice such a huge aspect just to better our future generations, then don’t you think they should be paid what they deserve?
I chose to major in elementary education because of my love for children . I enjoy working with children, I feel that they have an entirely different way of looking at the world. I want to make a difference in the lives of children. I want to improve their lives, but at the same time make it fun and interesting instead of dull and tedious. Children naturally have a short attention span. I have worked in an elementary school for four years, and I have learned that to keep children entertained but at the same time teaching them.
A teacher when defined, is a professional person who helps others learn new things. For the past 200 plus years, an ever-increasing topic for debate has been schools, and those who work in them, the teachers. As the identity of the school teacher began to form society began to make assumptions about the job and those who fill it. Today some of those misconceptions still exist while new ones have formed. The misconceptions on teaching not only affect the job as a profession, but they also affect how teachers instruct their students. Society often makes the claim that teaching is easy and only requires reciting knowledge to students while only working a seven-hour day part of the year. In close relation to this is the notion that “teaching” is not a true profession. Teachers are also accused of complaining too much without much cause. Other misconceptions about teaching include society stating teachers are compensated enough for what they do and do not need an increase in pay. Lastly, an overall misconception about schools includes the naive claim that states schools are much different and improved than schools of the past.
Becoming a teacher has been the ultimate aspiration for myself since the first day I walked into kindergarten. As a very timid student, it was a difficult task transitioning from being with my mother everyday, to being part of a classroom environment full of strangers. However, my kindergarten teacher helped me through this transition smoothly, and adequately. I very quickly learned to love school. Soon after, I knew I would aspire to become a teacher. I would spend countless hours at home with a blackboard, acting as a teacher to my imaginary students throughout my elementary school years.
The first main reason that I have chosen teaching as a profession is because I believe that it’s continuous rewards will help me to lead a happy and fulfilled life. For example, teaching young children is one of the few jobs in which you can give and receive hugs on a daily basis. Children have an innocence and a passion for knowledge that I find amazing and I do not feel complete unless I am around them. Teaching will help provide this fulfillment for me every day. Also, teaching is a job in which it is ok, and even encouraged, to laugh each and every day. I feel that this is important for a person’s well-being and I think that it helps to keep people young and alive. I feel that in many other professions the day-to-day routine would become monotonous and boring, and I do not think that I would live a truly happy and fulfilled life unless I could be around children. I feel that a classroom provides many unique and dynamic opportunities every single day and I find that very appealing. Also, I am a very relationship-oriented person and I feel that I will enjoy building unique relationships with each child. I plan on knowing every child as thoroughly as possible because I feel that this will help me to be better at my job.
I believe being a teacher is one of the most important jobs there is. We are molding the next generation of lawyers, doctors, and scientists. We are giving children the tools necessary to be successful in their studies, and then the work force. We are horticulturists intelligence, planting the seed that can only sprout when cultivated. It is also a field where you have to consistently grow with the market. We must consistently grow with our students and with the advancement of the world as well.
Teaching is a daunting task that I do not intend to take lightly. Becoming a teacher has been a dream of mine for several years. I always knew that teaching would be the career for me, especially when I began working in the school system as a substitute secretary. I loved working in the school environment; coming in contact with children everyday made me realize how much I would enjoy teaching a classroom full of students.
Teachers are a part of everyone’s life and students ' performance are affected by their performance as well. Teachers are everyday heroes when they choose to be one. As years go by, drop out rates will be expected to drop even further. A teacher should stop for a minute and ask this question, why did I want to be a teacher in the first place? As William Arthur Ward quote, “ The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
Throughout history it has been a long process in getting teachers to be certified. “In 1858, the superintendent first authorizes that teachers need to be certified. In the year of 1873, the state board of education created an examination that teachers needed to pass in order to be certified within the school systems. In 1876, the board of education of cities of the first and second class were authorized to certify teachers.