Why I Want to Be a Teacher

Why I Want To Be a Teacher

All my life I knew I wanted to work with kids. I have always enjoyed babysitting and spending time with children. When I was in ninth grade I decided that I wanted to be a social worker, I wanted to work for child protective services dealing with the neglect and abuse of children. I knew it would be a difficult job and that it would cause a lot of heartache; not only for myself but also, for the families I would be dealing with. I didn’t care about how painful and hard the job would be because at the time I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. It wasn’t until third semester of my senior year in high school that I changed my mind. I was enrolled in a class that required us students to go on career observations; my last observation was in a preschool special education classroom. As I sat and observed the teacher I couldn’t help myself from wishing that I were the one doing the instructing. Every child in the classroom had a unique mental or physical disability and the challenge of figuring out the best way to teach the children was inspiring. I made a special connection with a three-year-old boy named Owen. Owen has down syndrome and he is the cutest little boy I have ever seen. I was helping him hammer on a pegboard to improve his small motor skills when he stopped, took my face in his hands, and thanked me. It was at that very moment that I decided I wanted to be a special education teacher for preschoolers.
I have always been the type of person that likes a challenge. I feel that each kind of teaching has different expectations. As a special education teacher for young children you are expected to teach the children how to live with their disabilities. You have to look at each child individually and know that each and every one of them will need to be taught in a unique way. On my observation I noticed that the lessons focus on speech, socializing, small and large motor skills, and everyday life activities. I assume the job of a special education teacher to be extremely demanding. The student’s futures are in your hands. A teacher’s work doesn’t end when they leave the classroom; there are activities to be planned and assessments to be written up.
Teachers have many unique qualities that help them to become successful at what they do. A good teacher must be patient, intelligent, and caring in order to help the students reach their full potential. Being a teacher is tricky because you need to understand the difference between being a friend and being the disciplinary figure. I feel that I possess many of the qualities that make for a good teacher. My patience and love for children designates me to be successful. I realize that being a teacher to students with disabilities will be extra challenging; I feel that the challenge will help me to strive further and become the best that I can be. I hope not only to teach my students, but also, learn from them.
There are many things that draw me to become a special education teacher. The biggest turn on for me is the positive impact I would be making on the children and their families. I am so excited to find out what my future holds.

Elements of Professional Writing | Errors Noted | Professional Voice & Presentation: The candidate’s * writing tone throughout the TPA is that of a professional educator * commentary avoids judging when discussing the context for learning or content to be taught * vocabulary usage throughout the TPA demonstrates a professional voice * assertions avoid gross generalizations, stereotypes, and unsupported opinion. * sentences are clear and concise, with few if any fragments, run-ons, or muddled/tangled sentences | | Vocabulary, Word Choice, and Usage: The candidate’s writing demonstrates * correct use of professional-level Standard English, with no use of slang, contractions, or casual tone * correct use of grammar, including sentence construction and noun/verb, noun/pronoun, or verb tense agreements * correct language usage, with no misuse of homonyms, wrong words (ex: should of instead of should have), or “near misses” (ex: using then instead of than) * avoidance of the use of clichés and common expressions * avoidance of the use of educational jargon whenever possible | | Mechanics: The candidate’s writing demonstrates correct use of * spelling (run the spellcheck AND the eyeball check; run them again; and again. . . . . . . . . .and again) * punctuation (refer to a style manual such as APA, MLA, Chicago. Available at MSUM library and, for many manuals, online) * paragraphing (remember to break extended commentary into paragraphs for ease of reading) * capitalization (refer to a style manual such as APA, MLA, Chicago. Available at MSUM library and, for many manuals, online) * citations for referenced materials (use APA format, NOT MLA) | |