The Classroom

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Why?

I think it is important to be able to answer the question of why you are doing something. Yes, I work in order to keep a roof over my head. Yes, I work in order to live and take care of our basic needs. But, I could also choose to work at a bank, (which in fact I have), I could work as a secretary (which I have done as well), in order to accomplish the aforementioned necessities for working; I could accept any position that pays me a living wage. So, what is my why?

Why I am an educator cannot be limited to one word, a phrase, or a simple rationalization. There are a myriad of reasons I want and continue to choose to be an educator. The starting point of my ambition to become a teacher can be attributed to two individuals.

My mother used to read to me before bed every single night when I was a young child. She would cuddle up close and together we would analyze the pages, the words, the illustrations. I would follow along as she read to me. These moments are what created my excitement of reading. Reading gave me things I would never be able to experience in my small part of the world, cities I would and still probably could never travel to, and exposed me to different cultures, people, and adventures that I could only envision in my mind.

My grandmother; my father’s mother, was the other catalyst I give credit to for my desire to educate. I can remember when she was a principal, but before that she taught in the classroom. I didn’t know until later, much later, that my path in life was somewhat parallel to hers. In addition to teaching, she completed her Master’s degree after having three children and like me also coached basketball.

These two women and how they showed me the significance of education and the value of being a life-long learner are what I think of during those times I question if being a teacher is truly for me; truly what I was meant to be. Yes, although I have always wanted to teach there are times when I want to throw in the towel as they say. Rewarding as it may be, this job is not for the weak, not for the faint of heart and in those moments that I feel like a failure is when I have to reflect on why I made this choice.

Several years back I made a list and at the top I wrote “My Why”. In addition to my mother and grandmother, this scraggly piece of paper is instrumental in my perseverance. It reads:
* I love learning and always have.
* I love to make connections and create meaningful relationships.
* I love making kids feel special and important because I did not have many teachers
that made me feel that way.
That last reason hits hard. I had at least one champion in my life that cared about me, my education, and the choices I made or I am not sure I would have been able to come out as strong as I have. All kids don’t have that at home. All kids do not have someone who reads to them, or even makes them feel some kind of special. It’s sad, quite frankly. I have found that when you hold them accountable, when you show them they can be successful, and when you help them find their way to persevere they will.