A World of Monica Yohana

If you are enrolled in an introductory or a foundations of education course, you
have likely considered being a teacher for some time. Th is isn’t like taking History
101 or a required biology class; it is the fi rst step in a program of study that leads
to certifi cation as a professional. You may not know where, and you certainly
don’t know who (though students are out there, you can be sure, waiting for the
day when they will walk into your classroom), but you do know that you might
like to teach. So, let’s consider the reasons people teach.
Professors in education programs oft en hear students say they want to teach
because they love children. (Indeed, a study by Buckingham in 2007 found that
more than 90% of interviewees said they “like people.”). Or perhaps their mothers or fathers, or both, are teachers. Maybe they were inspired
by their second-grade teacher, and thus they
have always known that teaching is what they wanted
to do. Well, these are good reasons, valid reasons, but in
all honesty, they are only good enough to get you past
the fi rst day or two of fi eld service or the other internship
experiences that you will have as part of your education
program. If you are truly resolute, reasons such
as these might even carry you through your student
teaching semester, but then watch out! Th ese cautions
are not intended to dissuade you from teaching. Teaching
is the right path for many, but let’s be certain it is the
right path for you.
If you love children, you could work with a day-care
facility, as an aft er-school tutor, as a counselor, or perhaps at a museum or other
organization that provides educational experiences for children. In all of these
instances, you would have the opportunity to interact with young people without
the demands of a teacher-education program and the stresses and strains of teaching
all day, every day.
If your parents, your Aunt Millie, or your brothers and sisters are teachers,
that might not be the best reason to commit to this career. Because this wonderful
use of your life will demand everything you have to off er, the decision to teach
must be your choice, not someone else’s. However, if you want to teach because
your parents, your Aunt Millie, or your brothers and sisters have convinced you
that teaching is the most rewarding thing they have ever done, that’s another
story. Th en you can certainly consider whether teaching off ers the sorts of rewards
that would interest you. In her study of a group of successful urban teachers,
Nieto (2003) found they were committed to teaching, loved their students
and their subject matter, had hope and faith in their students, collaborated with
their colleagues, and believed they could infl uence the future. Does that sound
like the person you are, the teacher you could become? Activity 1.1 provides you
with an opportunity to consider your reasons for teaching.