Why Teach?

     This week in my EDU 100 class we talked about the question "Why Teach?". I personally think that after reading all of the articles that we have, my mind has expanded on the many ideas of why people actually go into the teaching career. I myself have always wanted to become a teacher because I love being around children and I love the thirst they have for knowledge. But after reading the article by Herbert Kohl I discovered that there are many more options. On page 22 of Kohl's story he talks about wanting to become the role model  that he never had in school. Trying your best to make a difference in a child's life is a very important part in their education. They need support and teachers to be there for them. Helping them go through school and having people there who they can count on is very important. These are just some examples of why people go into teaching, Kohl lists many more...so what's yours?
      A peer in my class shared a video showing all the different jobs that a teacher will most likely encounter--reasons why we should thank a teacher! Many of these ideas we do not necessarily think about everyday as students or possibly as parents. The video is a simple way of showing some of the hard work that teachers often do not get credit for. It makes you think about all the things that teachers actually do without realizing it! They don't just stand up in front of a class and write things on the board. They act as parents, mentors, nurses and so much more!
     My teacher shared two articles that shine some light on becoming a teacher and they were both humorous and really make you think about teaching!
7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers and Are you sick of highly paid teachers? 
After reading both of these articles  it shows that you will not be paid the amount of money you really should be earning for all of the hard work you put in, but you will definitely will be paid with the joy of helping children learn and grow (which is enough to have me set for life). If you already couldn't tell this is more of a rewarding career in the aspect of happiness, it's more than just a paycheck. The article about the seven habits of highly effective teachers throws some humor into the game of teaching. Walking into the classroom everyday you are never going to know what to expect, anything could happen. This teacher gives examples of lesson plans will not always work out, at one point or another pencil sharpeners will break and dry erase markers will always be MIA. All these joys come with the job, you can either embrace them or let them ruin you! (but you cannot really let them ruin you because we aren't suppose to have any feelings ;P).

 After reading through both articles and finding out all that information that is shared I still know that I want to teach. Teaching has always been something I have been passionate about. You just have to make the most out of every situation and if you love what you are doing at the end of the day it won't matter if you are covered in glitter! I think it is all worth it. These articles mostly talked about all the things that will go wrong and that teachers are not making enough money. I found an article that gives many reasons why a teacher stays teaching!  

     I was researching through pinterest trying to find information on why someone would like to become a teacher and I came across a really nice article --Why I Stay in Teaching and the article gave many examples as to why that teacher wanted to stay in her teaching career. Even with all of the things that could go wrong she looks at the positive things of teaching. "I stay because I laugh and learn every day. Your children are funny, insightful, and brutally honest. If my shoes don't match my outfit, they tell me. If my argument that Invisible Man is an important twentieth century classic doesn't convince them, they tell me. But they also teach me that writers other than Aristotle effectively employ rhetorical appeals. They have taught me that great literature comes in many different forms -- sometimes even in as unlikely a place as a speech by Ashton Kutcher at the Teen Choice Awards."  Teachers are not the only ones who teach in a classroom, the students teach us too.

     I want to teach because I want to make a difference in their lives, I want to be a role model and show them they can achieve anything, I want to teach because there are too many reasons not to want to teach. After reading through many articles about teaching the good outweighs the bad every time in my book. I am looking forward to all of these experiences-both the great and not so great.