I am a teacher.

How did this happen?  As I look back, I don’t remember ever aspiring to be a teacher.  I wanted to be a princess, a mermaid, then a writer, a poet, an artist, a doctor, a wife, a mother… I wanted most of all to be a leader; to make a difference.

In college, I toyed with the idea of several different careers.  I intended to go into the medical field because that was a great choice for a young woman seeking validation in a career.  I entered my first year of pre-requisites with gusto.  However, besides that fact that the smell of hospitals made me nauseous, the medical field just didn’t feel right. I loved the classes I took in drawing, design and art history.  I considered a career in commercial art but it seemed risky. Did I want to be a psychologist? How about a social worker? As I wandered and wondered, I encountered an array of individuals; some who were also searching and some who had found their passion.  Reflecting, I realized that the most influential people in my life, besides my parents, had been teachers.  Thus I found my passion too.  It was to lead and to make a difference in the world around me, one child at a time.

Through all the frustrations of working in a system that is clogged, clouded, and often inefficient, I have experienced great joy and satisfaction.  I have had the privilege of loving hundreds of children.  I have inspired smiles, knowledge, and confidence.  I have received hugs, notes of appreciation, and adoration.  I have listened to, taught and encouraged parents.  I have learned from my colleagues, shared with other teachers, and inspired innovation. I have made life-long friendships.  I have made a difference.

“The future of the world is in my classroom today, a future with the potential for good or bad… Several future presidents are learning from me today; so are the great writers of the next decades, and so are all the so-called ordinary people who will make the decisions in a democracy. I must never forget these same young people could be the thieves and murderers of the future. Only a teacher? Thank God I have a calling to the greatest profession of all! I must be vigilant every day, lest I lose one fragile opportunity to improve tomorrow.”
–Ivan Welton Fitzwater

Quote found at http://www.nea.org/grants/17417.htm