Why Teach?

Why Teach?

The more I'm made aware of the statistics of minorities, the more I realize the importance of minority teachers. My job will revolve around much more than the pedagogy of teaching or content knowledge. I plan to use my position as an opportunity to be a role model to minorities, dispel some of the stereotypes associated with minorities, and to be an example that regardless of hardships, socioeconomic backgrounds, or statistics, education is the key to becoming whatever it is you desire. Why teach? Because it will give me the opportunity to contribute to the youth far beyond what any other position will allow.

Of course the Wisconsin Teaching standards are imperative to becoming a great teacher. Thus far, my Field Experience and Service Learning Project have introduced me to the world of teaching firsthand. As I study these mentors, I pay close attention to their classroom management due to one of my biggest fears being lack of this component. I personally remember the result of having teachers who did not have control of their classroom as we students ran amok. I realize the key is structure and building relationships with the students. I plan to know my students well enough to be able to anticipate issues and act accordingly. My Field Experience mentor, an educator for over 20 years, mentioned to me the importance of seating arrangements and getting to know the students within the first few weeks of school, in order to seat them properly. I plan to use this advice, as well as a reward system, for positive reinforcement. Too often students are noticed for their negative behavior; therefore my plan is to focus on the positive. Why teach? Because the reward of conquering a challenge is one of the greatest rewards any human being can obtain.

I plan to teach at a high school level where my students will be in Erickson's identity versus identity confusion stage. This is an especially vulnerable time for minority students who are not only dealing with day to day teenage issues, but also identity confusion. I plan to use history as a tool in helping with these issues. I hope to build students self -esteem by acknowledging their history and giving them ample opportunity to demonstrate their strong points by incorporating Gardner's various intelligences as they relate to my students. For example, students who are more musically inclined will be given the opportunity to research the musical contributions of the time period and the chance to present their findings to the rest of their classmates. Why teach? Because just the thought of building the self- esteem of a child is rewarding, so I look forward to being able to put my thoughts into action and experiencing that reward on a deeper level.

I choose history as a discipline because throughout school I never liked the subject, but began to understand the importance of the subject, and actually enjoy the content as