Chapter 1: Becoming a Teacher

Joys of Teaching
 Helping students understand new concepts.

As a teacher, it is my job to facilitate learning, but it is also a privilege and a joy. I look forward to all those times when I get to see a student understand something they didn’t before.

 Preparing students for life outside the classroom.

Teachers have the responsibility to teach their students the skills necessary to apply their learning in the real world. I am excited about seeing how my students succeed lives outside of the classroom as a result of skills that they have developed in my class. I hope that I am able to make a difference.

 By 2012 around 700,000 teachers are projected to retire.

There are going to be a lot more teaching jobs available in the future, which I hope will open up more opportunities for me as a teacher. I want to make a difference in whatever situation I end up in.










Teaching: Not So Joyous

 Parents believe that teachers make a difference.

There is a lot of pressure on teachers, particularly from parents, to make a difference in student’s lives. It is going to be hard to carry that weight and to approach disgruntled parents in a professional manner.

 Teachers have little control over their work.

Guidelines and policies have been put in place to set rules and learning standards that can be hard to navigate as a teacher. There is less freedom in what can be done, than there is in other jobs.

 More time with less contact with the outside world and less freedom.

Teachers are not able to be talking on their cell phones or catching up with friends as often as someone else might be able to. This one really hit me, because it is not something I really ever thought about.