Why I Chose to Become a Teacher

By Mack S. Tribble
My choice to become a teacher was not made lightly. This decision was a
culmination of a process of reflection about what I wanted to do with my life. I
hae chosen a career in education because I beliee that it is one of the most
important functions performed in our culture. I beliee that teachers indiidually
and collectiely hae the ability to not only change the world! but to improe it.
Within the process of teaching! I hope to find both personal and professional
renewal. I want to be a part of a noble profession with the hope of one day being
counted among those in whom future teachers find inspiration.
Many of the great teachers that I hae had throughout my education hae
become my heroes and role models. I began to understand in high school and
college that great teachers hae skills that I wanted to learn. I want to follow their
e"amples. I remember that great teachers were good at e"plaining content! were
patient yet firm with students! were always fair! set high e"pectations! knew how
to motiate! and used humor appropriately. They were great communicators who
had a command of their sub#ect matter content. This is the type of teacher that I
intend to become. $oweer! I understand that my personal teaching style will
eole as I draw on my own strengths! knowledge! skills! alues! and e"periences.
I want children to learn in a safe and comfortable enironment so that their
self%esteem will be increased. & high self%esteem will enable them to strie for
and accomplish any goals they set for themseles. &s a teacher! I will play a part
in helping them to do that. I will hae the priilege of shaping future parents and
productie members of society. 'or all of these reasons! I ask myself! what better
#ob could there be. My answer is none because teaching is more than a #ob. It is an
important contribution I can make to better our society! and I am e"cited about the
opportunity to do so.
(uring my undergraduate program at (e)aul I chose classes that would
help me in my career as a teacher. These classes ranged from discipline *Methods
of (iscipline for Children+! to third%world culture *India+! psychology for adults!
children! and adolescents! along with topics that are important to both educators
and parents *,aising Boys to be Men of Character+. (uring that time I also spent
a considerable amount of time obsering classrooms! along with teaching -
th

grade Sunday school at my church. With the loe I hae for children! along with
my education! and the e"perience I hae had in the classroom! I know that
teaching is a career that I will be successful in.
Why do I want to become a teacher. & teacher has the direct opportunity
to make a difference! to change the future. I hae been told that I am an idealist. I
want the best for eeryone. I will set high goals as a teacher and do my best to
show each and eery student that these goals are within their reach. I will e"pect
eery one of my students to want to learn and more importantly to understand. I
want my students to fight oer the seats in the front row as if they were attending
a concert! not elementary school. I want to make my students wonder/ make them
0uestion/ make them think critically/ make them write/ make them read! read!
read.
&n e"cellent teacher is not #ust someone who e"plains. 1ot someone who
#ust demonstrates. &n e"cellent teacher is someone who inspires. &n e"cellent
teacher goes the e"tra mile. They can take any indiidual and make them beliee!
truly beliee! that their hopes and dreams are within their reach. &n e"cellent
teacher will not let a student walk away until eery 0uestion is fully e"plained and
completely understood! no matter how long it may take. If the day ends and the
student still has not understood the lesson plan! an e"traordinary teacher would
brainstorm. $e or she would think! 2$ow can I e"plain this concept to the student
so that he or she can better understand it.3 I intend on being that type of teacher.
The chance to inspire another human being is not an opportunity it4s a
challenge. There are too many educators that haen4t accepted this challenge! and
it needs to change. Students go to school because they are forced to. Many times
learning is not their top priority! but the teacher4s #ob is to teach. Students are
always learning. 5nfortunately! it #ust may not be what the teacher is teaching.
Since this is the case! a teacher must not only know his or her content area! they
must also be prepared to teach other 2things3. Things! such as character! morals!
etc.! which may proe to be more aluable than knowledge itself. This is the
reason I want to become a teacher. I want to inspire the children who will
represent the future of our great nation.
(octors! lawyers! politicians! and engineers. $ow did they all get to where they are
today. 1o matter the position someone may hold in society eeryone has progressed to
where they are in life because they had a teacher! someone who taught them in the way
they should go. Teacher as defined in the dictionary as one who instructs. To teach
someone is to communicate skills and gie instruction. Today I would like to tell you why
I would like to become a teacher. Specifically speaking I will tell you what has led me to
this decision and why I want to become a teacher.
To begin out of the countless professions one has to chose from in the world today I hae
chosen to become a teacher. I hae chosen to become a teacher because I myself am a
product of some whom I consider to be the best teachers in the world. &s a child in 1orth
Carolina I was inspired by a wonderful woman named Mrs. $ollyfield. Mrs. $ollyfield
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. $ollyfield inspired me to be the best I could be at anything I
wanted to be. &s I hae grown I hae 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 hae led me to the decision of becoming a teacher.
1ow that I hae told you what has led me to this decision I would like to tell you e"actly
why I hae chosen to become a teacher. I want to become a teacher not because of the
salary nor because I want weekends and holidays off/ rather! I want to become a teacher
because I truly hae a passion for making a difference in others lies. I feel that teaching
is perhaps one of the most fulfilling roles in life. Becoming a teacher to me means
helping to shape another person by teaching and instructing them. Becoming a teacher is
a huge responsibility with many obstacles! and I am willing to take on the challenge the
way so many before me hae.
In summary I hae told you what has led me to want to become a teacher and e"actly
why I want to become a teacher. I want to become a teacher because *een if it is only
one child+ I want to know that I made a difference and touched someone4s life the way so
many of my teachers hae touched my life.
Team leader
6ncourager
&ctor
Character builder
$uman resource
6nriching lies
,ole model