When Did You Pick Your Path?
Posted by Jen Bragg on 17 Jul 2009 | Posted in: Inspiration and Motivation, Teachers and Teaching
The question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” seemed to pop up frequently when I was younger. Sometimes it was posed by a teacher for a writing assignment, and other times it was asked by a classmate seated nearby at the lunch table. Once or twice, I’m sure it was an inquiry made by a distant relative. What was my number one answer? A teacher. It always seemed like the natural choice to me. And with the help of my family, I even had my own little classroom set up in our basement. It had a large chalkboard to write on, an old-fashioned student desk (my mom bought it at a yard sale when we lived in Illinois), and tons of stuffed animals to teach. I even had some math workbooks my older brother made for me. (Using carbon paper, he duplicated pages and bound them in file folders—as a youngster in the ’70s, I thought them pretty fancy!) It was tons of fun, and even though I considered other careers during my teen years, when it was time for college, education was still my top choice.
What about you? When did you decide that teaching was the profession for you? Has it been a lifelong interest or did you discover it later in life, after dabbling with other careers? I’d love to hear from you!
Congratulations to Audrey in Pasadena, California. She is the winner of a copy of 500 Classroom Tips, Grades K-1 in our weekly blog drawing.
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41 Responses to “When Did You Pick Your Path?”
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More Comments Pages: « 1 [2] 3 4 » Show All Comments
All I ever wanted to do was be a teacher. I was the child who when my teacher cleaned out old supplies and I got to take some home they became my treasured possessions.
My mom taught the preschool program at my church on Wed. Nights and I loved helping her prepare and sometimes helping her teach.
When the time came for me to go to college there wasnt any doubt in my mind that I wanted to teach. It wasnt until my senior year (while student teaching) did I fall in love with early childhood. My first teaching job was 3rd grade but I am happy to say that this will be my second year teaching kindergarten and I couldnt be happier.
All through elementary and junior high school, I wanted to be a Veterinarian. I was an avid reader of all of James Herriot’s books. I was in charge of pilling our cat, and keeping his wounds clean and scab-free. However, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Chemistry really kicked my butt. I knew that I would have to be content with loving my pets and seeing that they were well loved and cared for. I graduated from college with a degree in Christian Education. I planned to work as a director of Christian Education in the United Methodist Church. The man I married was also a DCE in a small town. Since we could not both work as DCE’s in our shall town, I went back to school to complete coursework towards getting my teacher certification. I was about 55 or 60 hours away from getting certifed in early childhood and primary. I have to say that one of the things I have enjoyed the most about teaching is reading to the children. This August, I will start my 22nd year of reading to the kiddos.
Like many of you, I always wanted to be a teacher. Love children, started spending time with the little ones in the church nursery, taught swimming at the Y from the time I was 9, you get the gist. While in college, I knew that I wanted to be a Kindergarten teacher. However, upon graduating, there were very few jobs so I took a 5th grade position. Bounced around in 5th and 6th grade for 14 years, then was able to drop to 1st grade. The first time I expressed an interest, my principal didn’t really listen - had someone in mind for the spot. The next year I asked again, and a week later he called me in and said, “You really did train for early childhood!” 14 years in 1st - then had to move to 4th due to drop in numbers. Two months into that year in 4th, and I sat in on a board meeting where they talked about NH finally mandating public K! (we were one of 10 districts in the nation that didn’t offer it) Board decided to do it the following year even though they had at least two before they had to - low and behold, I got it! Had the time of my life last year and told the administration that they’d need a bulldozer to get me out of there! My husband just said to me, “Do you realize how lucky you are to do something that you love?” Boy, do I!
I knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was in the second grade. Mrs. Moore was my Kindergarten teacher and then she was my second grade teacher. She was also my brother’s teacher and when I was in the 8th grade I was able to come help her in her classroom. We were always doing fun projects and activities. I was having so much fun, I did not realize I was learning. I could not wait to go to school each day. At the end of second grade I knew I wanted to be a great teacher just like Mrs. Moore and I never really faltered from that dream. Here I am today teaching second grade and loving every minutes of it. Thank you Mrs. Moore!
I have always dreamed of being a teacher, but I recall having many dreams for many jobs. Yet, teaching was something I not only dreamed of, but played regularly. I did not however realize I would start my career teaching handicapped students and enjoy it for over ten years before I re-entered regular education for my final years of teaching. It has been a wonderful ride of many different sorts if you will. The experiences alone have been a grand adventure. I wish I could write them all down to share, but instead I retell these stories to those who will let me share them. I think people are born to teach as we are born to do whatever our great gifts are that we are given. I hope we all continue to do what we love and love what we do no matter what that may be. Best for the years to come to all. Thank you for sharing your stories and listening to others. I love your products continue the wonderful works.
My mom was an elementary teacher since she was 18 years old. She taught in a one room school house. After she had us, she stopped teaching for a while to raise us but would substitute teach at the school we attended in town. The school I attended had K-12. When my mom went back to teach, she, once again, taught in a one room school. She had students in grades 1-8th. When she had school and we didn’t, we would go along with her to visit. To me it was amazing how she taught all of those grades and kept discipline as well with so much patience. Her students loved her and would have to give her a hug when they saw her even outside of school and also when they grew up. My sister and I would help mom put up bulletin boards and do other things for her classroom. It never occurred to me that I was going to be anything else but a teacher. When one of the one room school houses closed, Mom and Dad bought three desks and put them on our porch. I played school most every day with the neighborhood kids. If they couldn’t come over, I had invisible students. It was just big part of my life. I have completed 35 years of teaching so far and will be retiring soon. I always told myself that if I didn’t love going to work, I would quit. That never happened. I still love it. It’s a “job” that never gets boring. I have had some challenges in those years but they never frustrated me. I would bounce right back because there is just so much responsibility in shaping our youth more than ever before. I am also Lead Teacher because we have no principal in our building so I need to be someone who is there for the rest of the staff and keep us all positive and working for our students. My years as a teacher have been soooooo worth it!
It is interesting reading all the comments. I had no idea when I was younger that I wanted to be a teacher. In fact, my mom started me in kindergarten at age 4 and in the second grade my parents decided to hold me back because I was just not ready. I went to a parochial school and my first & second grade teachers encouraged my parents to do so. It was the BEST decision they made! When I started college, I thought I was going into accounting! NO WAY after the first semister! I thought hard about teaching and since my sister was a teacher already, and I was helping her out on my days off of college, I knew this was my calling. I have been teaching for 20 years now. Times have changed and curriculum has REALLY changed. I love my job. It’s funny sometimes to see and watch how strategies change and some come back.
My career path was never clearly defined. I wanted to be nurse, or lawyer….or maybe join the Peace Corp. In college I studied art, design and Child and Family Development. After two years at the University I married and started a family. Twelve years later I started working at a Children’s Learning Center and decided to return to school.
My career path then just seemed to open up in front of me. I loved being a preschool teacher, Program Coordinator and Director. Teaching young students is still the very best work that I can do. It brings me great joy to spend my day with children.
My best friend in first grade was the daughter of our teacher. We used to get all her old basals and teach imaginary friends. We had so much fun! Then in fifth grade I would stay in from recess and help the kids that were struggling readers…..I thought I was hot stuff! LOL So naturally I had to be a teacher when I grew up. I have done it for eleven years now, and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!
The one thing I was sure of above all else when I was younger is that I could be anything except a teacher. It was the only thing in my mind that I positively could not do. I always respected and liked my teachers, and found their work to be amazing… but I didn’t have the patience. I decided to go into political law.
My first year of college, I came down with mono and was forced to leave school. The day after I came home, I was in a car accident and broke my leg.
I laid on the couch for a year while my leg healed.
I had a lot of time to think about what was important to me. When I started to look for a job to help me put myself through school, I applied for everything. Everyone in my life had commented on how good I was with kids, so I sent my resume to a preschool or 2.
I got a job in-interview and have worked at 3 preschools (toddlers through K) and have found a passion for work that I didn’t know was possible.
(as for my lack of patience– I now work with 2s… whoda thunk?)
I knew I was going to be a teacher ever since I was a little girl. I had a chalkboard too, and lots of stuffed animals all in a row. I was determined that they would be the smartest stuffed animals ever.
However, when I entered my freshman year of college, I had a change of heart and thought I would own my own children’s clothing store. Well, that changed fast, right after I took an accounting course. YIKES!!!
I knew my major would be in elementary education, and I have been in the teaching field now for 16 years. I love lower elementary, and I plan on having fun teaching and learning with children for as long as I can.
When I was younger I was torn between becoming a vet or a teacher. When I became a aunt at the age of 13, I found that I loved to be around children. It became so simple for me to decide what to be when I grew up. I feel that being a teacher is what I was always meant to be. I cannot imagine doing any other job. For the past few years I have been working as a substitute teacher. It makes me long to be back in the classroom. I miss making connections when the students and watching them grow and learn throughout the school year.