My mother has been a teacher for 29 years. She is a special education teacher, and has her master’s degree. My mother has taken a 14 year-old boy with a 2nd grade reading level, and by the end of high school he graduated reading at his appropriate age level. She can do fantastic things as a teacher for her students. Teaching is definitely her passion.
However…
I am the daughter of that fantastic wonderful teacher that has helped so many students over the years, who had the luxury of being an unpaid teacher’s assistant. I can honestly say other than actually standing in front of one of her classes and lecturing I have done it all.
I was a smart kid, so quickly I went from stapling papers, hole punching, and cutting laminating to grading papers, programming and printing interim reports, and baking treats for the class. I thought couldn’t understand why anyone on the planet would go through that much work or effort to be a teacher.
I quickly determined a young age that teaching was not for me. I do not possess the patience to handle children, the determination to help them succeed, or the stomach to deal with parents. I am not a teacher major, but this class has taught me a lot about the actual process to get there.
I know my mother loves her job, and she would tell you it’s worth it. And you do get summers off!
P.S. if you have children don’t make them sit through meetings or grade papers or staple 100 uncorrelated 5 page packets.
Growing up, my mom has been a volunteer teacher for as long as I was in school. Since first grade, my mother has volunteered to teacher after school computer classes to students' parents. My mom had never really made me do any of the job that she was suppose to do herself. As early as I came to the U.S. I was offered the opportunity to volunteer as a teacher at the local Lansing Chinese as my mother's assistant teacher. It was when she really had me started to participate in her teaching job. Starting then, I started to enjoy just helping students.
ReplyDeleteI think that the good part of being a teacher is being rewarded from seeing the children learn and grow.
I truly look forward to an unpaid year-long internship, not really.I do look forward to making a difference in the lives of children. The past year i have been tutoring this little boy who has flunked kindergarten twice. He use to cry when it came to reading and had no idea what a vowel was. With a little encouragement, he happily reads at a level that should soon increase to his peers. Not only does he know various sound/letter combination but he know spells easily by sounding out words. All the headaches he caused me was worth it. Now times that by twenty (give or take) in a few years and it will still be worth it. All the students that i can help will make the paperwork, parents, politics, etc all tolerable. Then again i could just burnout just like Ide said the first day of class. Yet i am willing too face the challenge.
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