An Opportunity Like None Other

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An Opportunity Like None Other

The opportunity to touch someone’s life is given to everyone; however, what one chooses to do with this opportunity sets people apart. Teachers are people who are given this opportunity each day. This power of opportunity is both surreal and intriguing and is my reason for wishing to become an educator. As a future teacher, I believe our society’s paramount initiative should be to educate our youth. To shape the minds of the future will be a daunting task, but one I except with great enthusiasm.

I came to teaching not because of a sudden epiphany or because a certain teacher touched my life. It was an intrinsic feeling that developed in my heart and showed me the beauty of sharing love and knowledge with the children of this world. I want the fulfillment that teaching has to offer, because I believe there is no greater joy than touching the hearts and minds of youth. The truly curious individual is the one who continues their education and never stops learning, and I believe my curiosity will drive me to be the best teacher I can be.

Every aspect of our lives has a beginning, an establishment, or a foundation. As a teacher in today’s society, I believe it is important that educators start with a solid foundation of knowledge. With the launch of sputnik in the 1950’s, our society turned to its educators to insure our nation was producing quality students, especially in the sciences. It was then that our nation realized we needed to improve our education with a “back to basics” approach. William Bagley, an essentialist, established a foundation for America with the intent to instill students with the “essentials” of academic knowledge and character development. It is here I find my philosophy.

The “back to basics” approach has brought about an application of knowledge needed for the real world. An approach that provides people with the knowledge they need to be able to survive in society. Leaders such as William Bennett, former US Secretary of Education, believed strongly in the essentialist approach to education.

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