During our seminar, I think that most of us had the chance
to fondly remember that “one teacher” that had made an impact on our lives in
some way or another. Even if not everyone had this feeling of truly connecting
with a singular teacher, I would venture to say that most of us have had one
person, be it a teacher, coach, neighbor, mentor, who has changed the course of
our lives. I believe that these moments of connectivity are the reason many of
us want to teach. Yes, we want to prepare students for their futures; however,
it is these sparks of human interaction that make it all worth it. We
voluntarily go into a field that we know will stress us out, demand increasing
amounts of time and effort and then judge us harshly even when we do our very
best. Why would a rational human being put themselves into these conditions?
Because there is an exceptional reward when you connect with a child as they
finally get what you have been trying to say all year. Because there is an
exceptional reward when you connect with a child as they give you a hug on the
way out of the classroom as thanks for caring for them. Because there is an
exceptional reward when you connect with an adult when they get in contact with
you many years later to tell you that you made them who they are. That’s why we
do what we do. I ran across this short video on my web wanderings and I think
it is very inspiring. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuBmSbiVXo0)
I would love to hear everyone’s reaction to the video because I really enjoyed
it and thought he eloquently verbalized what he does as a teacher.
I remember a couple coaches actually that really kept me passionate about hockey and they are one of the main reasons I continued to play and ended up here at Ohio State University. You made really good points that I feel similarly about so thanks for sharing Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with this post. Without some of the such passionate teachers and coaches I have had throughout my elementary, middle, and high school careers I dont know where I would be. Without having that connection and respect for someone, life in the classroom or on the field becomes really hard to carry on.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you mentioned how hard teaching is as a career and that people do it because they are inspired and motivated by teaching kids. Recently, I actually reached out to my second grade teacher (who was one of my favorites!) to see about volunteering in her classroom. I think it will be a great experience for me, especially since I will be able to learn techniques that were so helpful for me as a student!
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