I have known since the first day of first grade that I was going to be a teacher. It was due to the kindness and generosity of my teacher. She took a genuine interest in a little girl, with big brown eyes, who was academically behind her peers. I remember the first day like it was yesterday. I could not believe the other students could recite the entire alphabet, write their names and even read books. Luck was on my side because not only did I have an amazing teacher, but she ended up being my neighbor too.
I was outside playing when I saw her car pull up in the driveway next to my apartment. She then started giving me chocolate pudding cups and lessons after school. She would give me lists of items to go find outside, probably for a break from me, and to help me learn to read. She gave me books and extra papers to work on at home. Thanks to her, I developed a love for reading that continues today.
Every year, I would pester my teachers for extra papers, old books, pencils, crayons, and any school items they could spare. I would then set up a school in our basement for the neighborhood kids who were also behind academically. We took practice spelling tests, tried to read books, wrote our letters, and of course had snack time.
I was fortunate to have other great teachers and a wonderful softball coach who took an interest in me. My fifth grade teacher noticed when I was struggling at home and at school, and my coach noticed when I didn’t have rides home from practice, or when I didn’t have enough to eat. One of my greatest accomplishments in education comes from taking the time to notice my students, just like these adults noticed me. I pay close attention to their behavior, moods, cleanliness, exhaustion, enthusiasm, what excites them, and I let them know they matter to me. I have learned that if you develop a real relationship with your students they will learn anything from you.
Due to the kindness these teachers and coaches have bestowed upon me, my greatest contribution is that I, in return, give this same unconditional support and generosity to each and every student who enters my room. I take pride in the fact that, from the first bell in September until the last one in June, they each get positive attention, challenging academics, and the message that anything is possible if they just try. I also try to instill the love for learning that I have into each and every one of them. I model this learning by putting myself in challenging positions and showing that through hard work, courage, and even failures, you still come out different in the end, and usually a stronger different.
