#9: Review/Do I want to be a teacher?

After completing the course and my service learning, I've decided that I do want to be a teacher. I was pretty sure at the beginning of the semester, but this course, along with the time I spent in my service learning classroom, has convinced me further. I saw things in my service learning that I want to use in my own future classroom. I saw things I would do differently in my future classroom. The importance of teaching as a profession was also re-affirmed to me. The course showed me more evidence that teachers can have a huge impact on their students' minds.

One thing my first service learning teacher said really impacted me. He said that he's had to report abuse he's seen happen to his students. That's not something I'd considered as part of teaching, but it really showed me that a teacher not only serves as an advocate for a student's mind, helping them learn and grow mentally, but a teacher can also serve as an advocate for a student's safety. The teacher I was talking to said that knowing some of your students are having trouble at home is one of the hardest parts of teaching. I know it'll break my heart if I ever do see or hear of something like that happening, but I'm glad I might be able to help stop it.

On a less serious note, I'm excited to be the kind of teacher who can make a positive difference in kids' lives. I know I had a few of those, and the thought of being one, making a difference, just fills me with joy and makes all the hard work it'll take worth it. Unfortunately, I won't be going into the UVU Professional Program. My plan for the next few years includes an LDS mission, so that delays things a bit. As soon as I get back, however, I'm going to Utah State to get a degree in Elementary Deaf Education, so I'll still be in an education program.

All in all, I'm glad I took this course. It helped me become sure that I want to spend my life teaching. It helped me see the hard/tedious parts of teaching as well as the good parts. I've begun to learn about being a good teacher and engaging the students, and I'm excited to continue in the USU education program when I get back from my mission.