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Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Being a Teacher

Being a teacher isn’t going to make anyone rich—but it is one of the most rewarding careers on the planet. A teacher can have a huge impact on a child’s life, and to see a child progress and grow is something that brings great joy to teachers.

So why teach? Here’s why I do it:

1. I make a difference – As a teacher, I can positively influence a child’s way of thinking or doing. Essentially, I can be the positive influence in their lives.

2. I can inspire – I can help students build self-esteem and believe in themselves and their ability to learn, no matter their background or abilities.

3. I can mentor a child – Children sometimes need someone to look up to and to aspire to be like. A teacher can help guide a child down the right path in life—one that will lead to the greatest successes.

4. I experience a diverse world – Students can come to school from various socio-economic statuses, ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, and abilities. This keeps me grounded and helps me to develop empathy for all children.

5. I can care for those less fortunate – There are many children who come to school unfed and poor. It’s up to us teachers to let them know that someone cares for their education as well as for their health and well-being.

As a teacher I can be a life-long learner

6. I can be a life-long learner – Teachers are required to take professional development courses in order to renew their certificate periodically. Being an educator allows me to keep learning and growing in knowledge.

7. I can encourage children to dream – Dreams lead to big ideas—which can lead to innovations and changes for the future. A teacher can inspire kids to think beyond their comfort zones and challenge them to reach their fullest potential.

8. I live with a deep sense of purpose – As a teacher, I believe I have a reason for doing what I’m doing. It helps bring value and meaning to my life.

9. I want to ignite the spark of learning – There are many students who say they hate school because it’s boring. I want to spark their interest and help them understand that they are smart and capable of learning, no matter their ability.

10. To prove that one person can make a difference – I can’t teach every child in the world—but I can make a difference for the ones that I do teach. The impact I have on their lives can stay with them throughout their years of schooling and beyond.

I’ve realized that I want to change the educational system completely

When I first began teaching, I only thought about teaching my students and what impact I could have on them. As I’ve grown older and more experienced, I’ve realized that I want to change the educational system completely. I hope to influence other teachers to be as passionate about teaching as I am, and I want to influence lawmakers to make policy that will be in the best interest of teachers and children. As teachers, we are on the front lines and have the greatest effect on children. It’s an awesome responsibility—one that I will always be willing to accept.

Read more:  ELLs: Connecting What Students Know to What They Need to Learn

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19 Top Ideas for a “Why I want to be a Teacher” Essay

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

Here are the 19 best reasons you would want to be a teacher that you can include in your essay:

• To help children learn more effectively.
• To ensure children have positive mentors.
• To improve children’s lives.
• To help future generations solve the problems of today.
• To help the future generations become good citizens.
• To inspire future generations to create a more equal world.
• To give back to the community I grew up in.
• To be a part of helping my community thrive.
• To be a part of my community’s decision-making processes.
• Because you have the patience for working with children.
• Because you have compassion for children.
• Because you want to learn from children.
• Because you’re enthusiastic about learning.
• Because you are a generous person.
• Because you’re interested in learning how to teach difficult students.
• Because you’re interested in learning how to work with difficult parents.
• Because you’re interested in learning diverse strategies for teaching,
• Because you’re interested in learning to master classroom management.
• Because you’re interested in learning what works and what doesn’t in teaching.

The ‘Why I want to be a teacher’ essay is all about showing you have thought in-depth about what a teacher does and what their role is in society. It’s also about showing you think you’d be a good person to conduct that role.

The 9 Tips are split into five categories. You can scan this whole post or browse through the categories here:

This essay is hard to get right.

Most students write the exact same thing as one another with the same old cliché statements like “because I love kids” (ugh, wrong answer!). If you do this, your teacher will just give you an average grade (or worse).

You need your essay on “why you want to be a teacher” to be different – indeed excellent – so it stands out for your teacher.

I’ll show you how.

Why should you listen to me? Well, I’ve been teaching university students in education departments for 8 years. In that time I’ve marked several thousand essays by people aiming to become teachers. I know what essays get top marks and which ones are average. I also know exactly what mistakes students make that make their essays seem … dull.

So, let me get you started out by introducing 19 points that you should make in your essay on why you want to be a teacher. I’ll break these 19 points down into 5 separate categories. Check them out below.

Read Also: Is Being a Teacher Worth It? (Why I Quit a Good Job)

1. Definitely do not say “because kids are fun”. Do this instead.

The word ‘fun’ is a big red flag for markers. Too many people want to become teachers because they think it would be a fun profession. Or, they might think that they want to help children have fun . No, no, no.

This is an incorrect answer in your essay about why you want to become a teacher.

Yes, teaching is fun a lot of the time. And it is really nice to see students having fun based on activities you’ve set for them.

But society isn’t paying you to have fun, or even to make children have fun. You’re not going to be a child minder, aunt, uncle or clown. You’re going to be a professional who has a bigger social purpose than having fun.

Now, a lot of students say to me “But, students learn more when they’re having fun.” Sure, that might be true – but it’s not a central reason for teaching.

If making learning more fun is genuinely a reason why you decided to become a teacher, then you need to frame it in a way that shows the importance of teaching for the good of students. Here’s three better ways to say ‘because kids are fun’; for each on, we can start with “I want to become a teacher because…”:

• I want to help children learn more effectively. You could say something like: …When I was in school, learning was hard and I therefore hated teaching. There were a lot of teachers who seemed uninspired and uninterested in whether their children are learning. I was inspired to become a teacher so I could help children like myself to learn in ways that are engaging, motivating and inspiring.
• I want to ensure children have positive mentors. You could say something like: …Many children in the world don’t have positive mentors at home. A teacher is often the one person in a child’s life who is a stable mentor that the child can lean upon. I chose to become a teacher because I believe all children need a positive mentor that instils in them an interest in the world and a belief that they can make something of themselves.
• I want to improve children’s lives. You could say something like: …Being a teacher will give me the power to make children’s lives better. Learning opens doors to new opportunities, ways of thinking and paths in life that children wouldn’t have had before me. I am inspired by the idea of helping a child who is sad, uncertain and lacks confidence to see their own potential for creating a fulfilling life for themselves.

All three of those ideas still skirt around the idea that helping children have fun is something you want to see happen, but they also point out that there’s something deeper here than the idea that children should have fun: they should have fun for a reason. That reason could be so they learn more, develop an interest in the world, or see that their lives are full of potential.

Note that in my three examples above, I never used the word ‘fun’: it’s too much of a red flag for your markers.

2. Explain how teaching helps the world! Here’s how.

Have you ever heard someone say that ‘Teaching is a noble profession’? Well, it is. And this is something you really should be talking about in your essay on why you want to become a teacher.

Your teacher will be impressed by your understanding that teaching is a profession that keeps the world turning. Without teachers, where would we be? Probably back in the dark ages where people couldn’t read or write, technology wasn’t advancing very quickly at all, and people mostly lived in ignorance of their world.

So, being a teacher is has a bigger social purpose. As a teacher, you’ll be an important piece of society. You’ll be one of the army of tens – no, hundreds – of thousands of people helping future generations to propel our world towards better days. Below are some ways teaching helps the world. You can start these off with “I want to become a teacher because…”

• I want to help future generations solve the problems of today. Being a teacher gives you the opportunity to propel students to greater heights. The children in your classrooms will be the people who solve climate change (oh, goodness, I hope so!), create the technologies to make our lives more comfortable, and get us out of the ecological, economic and political messes we seem to have gotten ourselves into!
• I want to help the future generations become good citizens. There’s a concept called the ‘ hidden curriculum ’. This concept points to the fact that children learn more at school than what’s in the tests. They also learn how to get along, manners, democratic values and the importance of sharing. These soft skills are more than just a by-product of education. They’re incredibly important for showing our students how to get along in our society.
• I want to inspire future generations to create a more equal world. A lot of what we talk about at school are moral issues: what’s the right and wrong thing to do? How do our actions ensure or hinder equality of races, genders and social classes? As a teacher, you will be instilling in children the idea that the decisions they make will lead to a more or less equal world. And of course, we all want a more equal world for our children.

These points are some higher-order points that will help you teacher see that you’re becoming a teacher for more than ‘fun’. You’re becoming a teacher because you see the noble purpose in teaching. If you do this right, you’ll surely impress your teacher.

3. Discuss your commitment to community. Here’s how.

Teachers are at the center of communities. Parents take their children to school, drop them off, then go to work. They busily get on with their jobs: architect, shop assistant, nurse, builder, and so on… Then, they all come back at the end of the day to collect their children from school.

School is one of the few things that brings all of these different members of a community together. Parents gather around the pick up location to gather their kids, and there they stand around and chat about sports and politics and community issues.

School is at the heart of community.

And you, as a teacher, will be one of the respected members of that community: there to serve all the members of the community by helping to raise their children with the values of the community in which you live.

You can talk about this as a central reason why you want to be a teacher. How about you start off with: “I want to become a teacher because…”

• I want to give back to the community I grew up in. You could say …I grew up in a close-knit community where we all looked out for one another. Being a teacher will give me the opportunity to give back to my friends and mentors in the town who need someone to raise their children who they trust will do a great job.
• I want to be a part of helping my community thrive. You could talk about how you are from a growing community that needs good quality, respectable people who will educate future members of your community. As a teacher, you will be at the heart of ensuring your local town remains a great place to live.
• I want to be a part of my community’s decision-making processes. Teachers hold a certain authority: they know how students learn, and they usually have a very deep understanding of what is best for children in order to ensure they thrive. You can talk about how you want to become a person with deep knowledge about the children in your community so you can help guide you community’s decisions around how to raise their young people.

Note that in this group of ideas, ‘community’ represents the close-knit town in which you live, whereas in point 2, I talked about ‘society’, which was the bigger picture of the future of our nation or world rather than just your town.

4. Discuss the personality traits you think you can bring to the role. Here’s how.

You should show how you have reflected on the requirements of the role of teaching and thought about whether you have the personality traits that are required.

Why? Well, you need to be able to show that you know what being a teacher is all about… and that you think you’d be good at it.

So, let’s dive in to 5 personality traits that teachers have, and how you can show you have those traits:

• Patience. Patience is an enormously popular skill for teachers to have. You’ll have kids who just don’t understand concepts one iota, and you’ve got to sit there and work with them until they get it. It’s tedious, let me tell you!
• Compassion. Patience and compassion go hand-in-hand. If you don’t feel empathy for the kid who’s struggling super hard at learning, you’ll get pretty mad and just give up. You might also say some mean things to the kid! So, compassion is really necessary if you want to become a good teacher.
• Open minded. Teachers always need to be learning new things. We often talk about the importance of learning with students more than directly teaching If you set a student a task, you’ll be sending them out to gather as much information on the topic as possible. They’ll often come back with new knowledge and you will want to praise them for teaching you something new.
• Enthusiasm. Let me tell you, when it’s Wednesday afternoon in the middle of a hot school week and everyone’s depressed and flat there’s one person to rally the troops: you! Teachers need to wake up every morning, put their happy face on, and march into the classroom with boundless enthusiasm. It’ll motivate your students and make them feel welcome in the learning environment.
• Generosity. You need to be generous with your time and praise. You need to be constantly thinking about the students in your care and doing anything you can to help them learn, instil in them a love of learning, and give them the confidence to try anything. Teachers need to be very generous people.

There’s a ton more traits that make a good teacher that you can talk about. These are just a few. Go forth and learn more, and add them to your essay!

5. Conclude with the things you still need to learn. Here’s how.

One more thing: good teachers are constantly learning. As someone studying to be a teacher, you need to remember that there’s a long way to go before you have all the answers. Heck, I’ve been a teacher for nearly a decade and I’m not even half way towards knowing everything about being a good teacher.

So, conclude your essay by highlighting that you understand what the role of a teacher is in society and the key competencies required of a teacher; but then go further and mention your enthusiasm to learn more about the profession over the coming years.

Here’s 5 things you can mention that you still need to learn:

• How to teach difficult students. Some students hate school – mostly because of their terrible experiences in the past. You need to learn to get through to difficult students, and this takes time and patience to learn the art of inspiring the uninspired.
• How to work with difficult parents. Oh boy, you’ll have a lot of these. You can highlight this as one of the key things you want to work on in the coming years: again, you’ll need to draw on that skill of patience (as well as the skill of diplomacy ) when it comes time to deal with an angry parent.
• Diverse strategies for teaching. There are a lot of different ways to go about teaching. Over the years you’ll pick up on the various strategies and tricks different teachers have to help children learn.
• Classroom management. This is one of the hardest things young teachers need to learn. And really, it just takes time. Discuss how this is something you want to focus on, and how you’ll use mentors to really work on this skill.
• What works and what doesn’t. Great teachers have this intuitive knowledge about what works and what doesn’t, all based upon their deep experience and trial-and-error. The only way to learn to teach is to do it. Over the coming years, you’ll be learning about this. A lot.

You’ll only need one or two paragraphs on this final point, but it’s a great way to end your essay on why you want to become a teacher. It’ll show your humility and eagerness to take on one of the noblest professions in the world.

If you want to learn to write a top notch conclusion, you might also like my post on the 5 C’s Conclusion method .

Before you finish up your essay, you might want to check out my awesome posts on how to improve your essays, like these ones:

• How to write a killer Introduction
• My perfect paragraph formula , and
• How to edit your essay like a pro .

I promised 19 thoughtful points to make in your essay about why you want to be a teacher. Here they are, all summed up in one final list:

• Say you want to help children learn more effectively.
• Say you want to ensure children have positive mentors.
• Say you want to improve children’s lives.
• Say you want to help future generations solve the problems of today.
• Say you want to help the future generations become good citizens.
• Say you want to inspire future generations to create a more equal world.
• Say you want to give back to the community you grew up in.
• Say you want to be a part of helping your community thrive.
• Say you want to be a part of your community’s decision-making processes.
• Say you want to share your patience with your students.
• Say you want to share your compassion with your students.
• Say you want to learn from your students (be ‘open minded’)
• Say you want to share your enthusiasm for learning with your students.
• Say you want to share your generosity with your students.
• Say you’re interested in learning how to teach difficult students.
• Say you’re interested in learning how to work with difficult parents.
• Say you’re interested in learning diverse strategies for teaching,
• Say you’re interested in learning to master classroom management.
• Say you’re interested in learning what works and what doesn’t in teaching.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 20 Montessori Toddler Bedrooms (Design Inspiration)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 21 Montessori Homeschool Setups
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Hidden Talents Examples

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14 Fantastic Things To Love About Teaching

Some days I’m really aware of how much I love teaching and why, but there are some rough days when I wonder, “Why do I do this?” With Valentine’s Day approaching, I thought I’d share 14 reasons I love teaching. Take this list as my valentine to all of you.

14 things I love about teaching

Here they are in no particular order:

1. Seeing how kids think Kids have amazing ideas and perspectives. It’s fascinating to hear how they approach problems and explain concepts in their own words. I love the creative ideas they come up with for art and writing and building and the connections.

2. Learning something every day I love to teach, but I also love to learn—and teaching offers lots of opportunities for learning. Whether it’s researching a topic related to student interests or questions or exploring new ideas for how to teach something, I get to explore new ideas a lot. Add a wide mix of cultures and backgrounds in the classroom and the different experience children bring to the classroom and I learn something new daily.

3. Getting to share things I love What’s your passion? You get to share that with kids. Love reading ? That shows through in your language arts and reading lessons. Excited about math ? You can share that enthusiasm with students. Nature lovers can bring that into science lessons or through book selection for reading. You can share a favorite author or illustrator with your students or use your love of music to help students remember new ideas.

4. Seeing a light bulb go off in a kid’s head You know that a-ha moment—when a kid finally gets something or comes up with a brilliant idea of their own? It’s priceless. Sometimes it takes a long time to get there, but it is always worth the effort.

5. Helping kids learn their way Kids learn differently. Helping kids understand that they can learn and finding different approaches that help each of them learn based on their own learning style isn’t always easy. But I love knowing that a child has both learned the skill or topic—and learned how to learn. I like to think I’m creating lifelong learners.

6. Every day is different. Teaching is never boring. Despite the routines we create in our classroom, every day is different. It could be a fire drill or a student bringing in a surprising show and tell. It could be a project or game that gets students excited. But every day is a new day (a good thing to remember on bad teaching days .)

7. Watching kids grow and change. It’s amazing watching kids grow and change over the course of a school year (and perhaps to see them the following year in the school). We know about developmental changes that happen in the age groups we teach, but I love seeing how that plays out in individual students. Students change physically and in how they move and use their bodies. They learn new academic and social skills. It’s almost like getting to know two different kids.

8. Never being bored Each day being different helps banish boredom. And teaching keeps you on your toes. You need to adapt and adjust to each class and student even if it’s a skill you’ve taught many times before. Plus, I bet as a teacher you have some “you can’t make this stuff up” stories. The unpredictability of kids makes sure you are never bored.

9. Having kids I worked with come back to visit It doesn’t happen every day, but I love when my former students come back for a visit. They are often quite excited and it’s fun to see what they are up to years after they came through my classroom. It’s particularly gratifying when they remember something that mattered to them, whether it’s a game they loved or a tough situation I helped them with or the feel of my classroom.

10. Getting to inspire kids Some kids come to school loving to learn. Others aren’t so sure. I hope to inspire kids to love learning, and perhaps more importantly to believe that they can learn and do things. By giving kids opportunities and support and new experiences, I get to inspire them.

11. Getting inspired The flip side of inspiring kids is getting inspired. I get inspired by kids enthusiasm and creativity. I get inspired by the effort of kids and the struggles some of them overcome. I get inspired by acts of kindness and compassion in my classroom and by the chance to touch our future.

12. The chance to be creative I love creating new fun ways for kids to grasp and practice. I can turn spelling practice into a game or get kids moving as they learn doubles facts in math. I can use art or music to get kids engaged. I get to be dramatic when reading a story. While some days I’d love a chance to sit down, sitting at a desk in front of a computer all day isn’t for me.

13. Seeing a child take off as they get something new There’s the a-ha moment when kids get a new skill or concept for the first time and then you get to watch them take off. It’s seeing a child slowly segmenting and blending sounds and piecing together an early reader and then watching them devour books as their fluency and confidence grow. It’s having kids struggle with math problems show a classmate how to do it. It’s a kid who takes what you taught them and asks “What if …” or suggests, “Now we could …”

14. Making a difference. It may be a cliché that teachers make a difference, but it’s true. Good teachers make a big difference in the lives of their students. We make a difference by caring about them as people, seeing and responding to them as individuals, and building safe, respectful places in our classrooms. Every now and then you will learn what a difference you made in a particular student’s life, but even when you don’t hear it directly from a student or family, you are making a difference—and that feels great.

Those are some of my reasons for loving teaching? What’s the top thing you love about teaching?

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• Our Mission

Why Do You Teach?: What Sustains Us in Our Work

In my previous post , I discussed how important it is for me to connect with my students, and how one way I do so is by eliciting their stories.

I also need to make connections with other teachers. So I ask, why do you teach? Most teachers get a dreamy look on their faces when I ask them this question. Most haven't thought about it in a while.

Recalling the reasons why we teach -- keeping them fresh and foremost in our minds -- is, I believe, the key to sustaining ourselves during the long and challenging school year.

I teach because, for me, it's the most effective and most enjoyable way to change the world. That's the bottom line: We need to change this world, and this is the way I'm choosing to do it. Teaching allows me to work on hearts and minds, to guide people in becoming empowered, literate, engaged, creative, liberated human beings who want to join in this effort to change the world.

I've seen it happen. I always believed that my students could transform and find themselves, in addition to becoming literate people and graduating from high school, but now I'm witnessing it. I'm seeing students I taught in elementary school and middle school graduate from high school, discover their skills and passions, and go to college. I always knew they could do it, and now they're doing it. That's why I teach.

I also teach because some didn't make it. Some of the sweet, brilliant, gentle sixth graders I taught many years ago are now on the streets, in gangs, in jail, in trouble. Their names and faces come to mind fast. I vividly remember their inquisitive faces, probing questions, musical compositions, and acting skills when they were twelve years old. I knew them as little boys. They don't look like that anymore. My heart aches. I keep teaching because we're losing too many kids in Oakland.

I work in middle schools because that's where the battle gets most intense but also where we can still reverse problems. I love middle school kids. I love where they are intellectually and emotionally. I love being able to engage them in the kind of rigorous discussions they aren't ready for until around sixth grade, and then I love getting hugs once in a while (in contrast to elementary school kids, who want hugs eight times a day, every day). You can still turn their lives around in middle school. I know; I've seen it.

I remind myself of these reasons, and all the others, quite often. Teaching kids, and adults, is hard -- really, really hard. I need to regularly remind myself why I do this. I have dozens of visual cues on my walls: quotes, photos of old students, and student artwork and writing. I list the names of those who made it, and those who didn't. I have photos of my family, because I also do this work for my son, because of my mother and grandmother, and with the endless support of my husband. I need to have all my intellectual and emotional receptors regularly tuned in to the reasons I've chosen this profession, because it's really hard, and exhausting, and never ending, and overwhelming.

So, why do you teach? Why do you teach reading, or science, or art? Why do you teach kindergarten, or ninth grade, or college? Share your stories. Share them here, share them with colleagues as the year starts, and share them with your students.

And, most of all, remind yourself why you teach.

•   Saturday, August 31, 2024

Future Educators

Helping America's Future Teachers

I Want to Become a Teacher Because | My Dream Job Essay

My dream is to become a teacher . If you have this dream, you’re not alone. Here’s a collection of short essays by aspiring teachers. Current and future education students were asked to describe their motivation; what inspires them to succeed at their teacher training studies.

In these 31 student essays, future educators answer the question “I want to become a teacher because …” or “I want to become a teacher to …”. The short student essays are grouped thematically, forming the top reasons to become a teacher.

1. Giving Brings Its Own Rewards

Helping people is the unifying theme as to why students are inspired and motivated to become teachers. Education is a field where you can help young people directly in a personal way; potentially changing their lives for the better. Teaching is more than just a job.

For a significant percentage of education students, the opportunity to be of service provides plenty of motivation to pursue a teaching career. In each Why I Want to Become a Teacher essay here, a future educator explains why teaching is an opportunity to do something meaningful and beneficial.

by Hanna Halliar

If I can make an impact in just one child’s life, I will be able to consider myself successful. That is my motivation. As a future educator, what else would it be?

Every day that is spent in class, the late nights at the library, the endless hours of studying are all just steps getting me closer to the goal. When I am still up at 1 a.m. struggling to keep my eyes open, but only half way through my 6 page paper I remember how excited I am to work with my own students one day.

To me, being a teacher is so much more than the typical response most people have towards education majors. “Oh, you’re going to be a teacher. You know how much you will make?” Yes, I’m aware that I will be making an average of $50,000 a year in Indiana.

To me being a teacher means that I get the opportunity to not only teach my students math, English, and science but to teach life lessons that will stick with them as well.  It means walking into school every day being the reason my students look forward to coming to school. It means being surrounded by crafts, books, and music and not being stuck in an office. It means educating our future generation. And if somebody has to do it, it should be somebody who is passionate about it.

So what motivates me to study? It is so simple, it is the kids.

by Savannah Stamates

I lay awake at night and practice my first morning message to my first round of students whom I will not meet for more than a year.

I wonder if I will have hungry children, happy children, or broken children. I wonder if I will be good enough or strong enough to reach those most in need.  I wonder if my students will trust me enough to tell me that they are hungry, happy, or scared.

I worry that I will not be strong enough to share their burden or provide a place for peace and learning. I worry that I will misread their actions or their words or miss them reaching out.

So I study, even when I am tired from working two jobs or sick of not being where I want to be. When my time comes to walk into that classroom, my worries and doubts will be silenced by the knowledge I have mastered and the dream I have finally achieved.

by Charity Latchman

Dreams for the future are subjective. They can be based on what we desire. But visionary dreams are not only for us. Imagine asking some of the greatest revolutionaries and pioneers about their dreams. They generally had others in mind. In the famous “I have a Dream” speech, Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr said “we” more than thirty times. Dreams are not for our benefit alone, but to encourage, inspire and benefit others.

Recently I graduated from California Baptist University with a degree in English literature. During my studies, I was cared for my disabled mother. She was a religious studies professor who inculcated me with a diligent and steadfast approach to schoolwork. Managing the role of caregiver with university studies was challenging. But the goal to become a teacher kept me going. Approaching graduation, my mother was diagnosed with throat cancer. She didn’t worry about herself as much as you might expect but kept pushing me to finish the final paper in the program.

With her encouragement, my faith, and a burning desire to teach English literature, I graduated. My motivation comes from wanting to help, to encourage, and to inspire others.  Teaching is an act of giving that has its own rewards.  Life’s trials bring ups and downs. But we must always strive to attain our dreams, especially when others are central to them.

by Katheryn England

As a high school senior, many people assume I’m prepared for college and know what I want to study after graduation. These assumptions cause me to experience moments of self-doubt. Then I re-evaluate what I want for myself, and what it is that keeps me working towards my dreams. Through the goals I’ve set for myself, I can maintain focus, move past my self-doubt and succeed. By focusing on my goals, I can make a difference in the world directly around me.

A goal I have in my life is to be an elementary teacher, also known as an early childhood teacher. As a teacher,  I can share the knowledge I’ve gained to leave behind a better future for our world .

Last year, I had the opportunity to work alongside a previous elementary teacher and mentor of mine. I’d visit her classroom daily, and taught lessons alongside her or independently. Uniquely, they were the opening act in my high school’s original winter play. They read first-hand from our scripts and learned what happens behind the scenes. Showing a new part of the world to the youth of my community has motivated me to pursue my dreams.

Remembering this experience and the positive influence I had on those students helps me overcome self-doubt and stay focused on my goals. Thanks to the goals I’ve set for my life, I not only can find purpose for my efforts, but find the will to be confident in whatever choices I make.

by Emma Lillard-Geiser

I have always known that I would become two things: a mother and a teacher. What I didn’t know is that I would become the mother before the teacher. Having a child that depends on me is what fuels my desire to succeed in life. When I get frustrated with my studies I take a deep breath, look at my daughter, and know that I have reason to persevere. I know that one hour of studying will give me hours with my daughter as soon as I am done.

My mother is a teacher and growing up I cherished learning from her. She had knowledge that I admired and I quickly realized that I had to spend my whole life learning. I love to learn, to have that light go off in my head when it all just clicks.

I cannot wait to see that light in the eyes of my daughter and my future students.  For every thing that I learn, is another thing I can teach someone else.  It isn’t easy to study when you have a small child to take care of but I know that my education will provide me with the ability to take care of her for the rest of our lives.

2. Help Disadvantaged Students

Students are disadvantaged for many reasons, whether it’s because of a handicap, where they live, economic disadvantage or a language barrier.

Future educators may want to become teachers so they can make a difference in the lives of students who face extra learning challenges. This special interest often comes from the future teacher’s own experience, either personally or involving people they’ve known.

by Ian T Thomason

While attending the University of Minnesota-Mankato, I have aspirations of becoming a Special Education Teacher. Becoming a Special Education Teacher and helping students who have a need for extra help and students who are having troubles with everyday life are things that I dream of doing.  I was in their shoes once and know how difficult it is to deal with everyday life and how nice it was have a teacher to talk to.

Becoming a Special Education Teacher is my ultimate goal and, when difficult times arise, I have to remind myself of the children out there who have it potentially worse than I. When I remember this, I also think back to all of the support that I had from my parents, family members, and teachers. I also know that there are lots of children who don’t have this type of support and, if I can be there for them, that would make my career choice all the more worth it.

My Special Education degree is something more than just a degree for me. It is a degree that allows me to help children improve their education. I realize that children are our future and that their minds are terrible things to waste. So, instead of wasting their minds, why not put our best foot forward to educate them? My dream is to help kids realize their full potential, promote education and a brighter future for every child.

by Katherine

Motivation allows you to persist through difficult circumstances. Mine comes from a desire to grow into an instructor who is able to make a difference to many children’s lives.

In elementary school, I actually was a special education student. I’ve had to work hard most days of my life to achieve anything. I could not have succeeded without the support of some absolutely amazing teachers. Now I desire to take on that supporting role for as many students as I can reach.

When a class or an assignment I don’t want to do come up, I think of what motivates me. And the motivation is children. Many students feel powerless about their education, just like I did.  I could be a teacher who turns their education around, providing vital support and motivation to succeed at their studies.  Ultimately, everyone motivates themselves by one way or another. My motivation comes from the pure desire to help future students.

by Robbie Watson

My road to graduate school has been a long one. I studied religion and culture in undergrad, interested in the material, yet not sure how I would apply it later. Yet I found places, got involved in community and international development, engaged with different cultures, and now feel I use my degree every day.

For over two years I worked alongside Congolese refugees in Rwanda, developing educational opportunities for youths who could not finish secondary school in the underfunded camps. It is these refugees, young and old, the students, the teachers, their passion and vision for a better future that has driven me to seek out more education for myself. I remember how they would pay from their families’ meager funds to attend classes led by volunteer teachers. When finances were against them, or time, or family obligations, or the dire depression of the camp life itself, or even government officials were against them, still those students attended, still those teachers taught.

It is their example of perseverance towards a goal against all odds that inspires me now. I think of them often, think of the friends they were, are still. And I think of how that passion is in me now, to better understand education so that I might better educate, and thus equip such downtrodden communities to work for transformation themselves. I work not only for myself, and am motivated by the potential in those students and educators, which is also in me, and in others like them.

by Natalie Pelayo

I’m a young Latino woman working towards the goal of earning a bachelor degree in bilingual education. On occasions, I feel a slowing in my motivation. But, every time it happens, I think about the goal and that pushes me to move forward.

Looking back to a middle school class I attended, there was a boy who never really participated. He sat in his hoodie, looking down to his desk. Only after trying to talk with him, I discovered he spoke with broken English and a thick Spanish accent. It seemed as if no-one in our class actually knew that he struggled to understand what was being taught because it was presented in English.

By his manner, it was apparent that he had already accepted a dismal fate. Past teachers may have been unable to communicate with him. Eventually, he’d become demoralized.  Thinking about the disadvantages he had to endure provides ongoing motivation to study hard.

I aim to become a bilingual elementary school teacher to support young Spanish-speaking children. As a teacher, I’ll be able to show them that they can succeed. Children need not grow up thinking they’re incapable of learning due to a language barrier. I’ll keep working towards my goal to help ensure teaching is inclusive of all children, no matter their first language.

by Abigail Young

I am an American citizen, but my whole life I have lived in Cameroon, Africa. I have been blessed with an enormous amount of opportunities and a great education at a private international school.

Every day I have seen children and teenagers around me who do not get the same education or have the same possibilities of a “bright” future. I see schools that are forced to have three children share a small table, paper, and pens. I have seen a badly lit room with poor roofs and walls made from bricks. Even in my school there are numerous Cameroonians, my friends, and classmates that do not have the same chances at a higher level education, although they work just as hard.

When I study, I study hard because I do not want to let this chance and opportunity go to waste. I study because I have been undeservedly blessed to be able to go the United States for a high education with better chances at getting scholarship money. I study my hardest because  it is my dream that I may come back and make a difference in countries like Africa with poor education systems . It should be a right for children to be able to learn like I have. Therefore, because of this mindset, I am driven to study not just out of thankfulness for my circumstances, but also in hope that I may be able to give other children a better chance, and a greater reason to study.

3. Helping Many People Is Achievable in Teaching

A powerful source of motivation for some education students is the potential to touch and positively impact the lives of many people. Education is a field of consequence and that’s a good reason for wanting to join the teaching profession.

Over the course of a long career, a classroom teacher may help shape the learning experience of hundreds or even thousands of students. In policy roles, educators can affect millions of people.

by Rachel Bayly

Through high school I worked as a teacher at a daycare. When I left for college I said goodbye to a lot of people, including my students. All summer I had woken up at five in the morning to go to work and wait for them to arrive and put a smile on my face. Those kids motivated me to keep waking up and working hard, and leaving them was not easy.

The thing that made that goodbye worth it, the reason that I keep pushing through this tying chapter of my life is that  I am determined to improve early childhood education in the United States .

I want to be a positive force in the lives of as many children as I possibly can, and I plan on doing that by improving standards and policies for early childhood education and making it more affordable.

Every week I write in my planner, “I will make a difference” and one way that I will change the lives of children and families. On days that I find myself asking, “why am I here?” “why am I going into debt, paying to be stressed out all the time?” I think of my students. I read my “I will make a difference” statements.

I remember that some children out there are stuck in low quality child care centers, they will never reach their full potential, and they need help. I keep working hard everyday so that I can help those children.

by Megan Burns

My ultimate goal is to change the lives of people. Studying to be a teacher is hard. All of the classes that are required, all of the practicums, and all of the time spent just to become a teacher is stressful, but the thought of being able to help just one person changes everything.

It takes one person to be a light in someone’s life. It take one person to be a helping hand. It takes one person to change an unmotivated, broken life, and make it brand new. Qualified teachers are those people.  We motivate students to do their best, we guide students to success when no one else will, and we are always available to listen.  One teacher can change the lives of thousands of students. That is my motivation.

I know that after college, I will be a teacher, a guider, a counselor, and a friend to so many students. No matter how many bad days I have or how many times I want to quit, I just think of what is to come in the future. I can be that change this world needs, even if its in a small high school classroom. It just takes one person.

by Victoria Shoemkaer

My dream is to make a difference in the life of children.

• To make them excited about learning.
• To make it fun the way it used to be when they were younger.
• To show them that someone cares about them and wants to see them succeed.
• To show that they are much more that a test score or a number.
• To believe in them so much, that I do not let them get discouraged from chasing their dreams.
• To showing them that everyone fails and it’s your recovery that determines what happens next.
• To sacrifice myself to gives them more opportunities for success.
• To encourage students to succeed in and out of the classroom for the betterment of themselves and the community.
• To inspire them to change the world, because they can.
• To help them transform into caring and compassionate adults who are ready to conquer the word, but remember where they came from.
• To teach them to do good in the world because anyone can accomplish doing well.

Most importantly, my dream is to make children feel like their voice is important and valued and that they are loved more than they know.

4. Lives Can Be Improved by Dedicated Instructors

Teaching a subject such as Math or English is the everyday task of a teacher. But our prospective teachers see a greater purpose in their training and career path.

The daily motivation to teach doesn’t come from the superficial advantages of a teaching career, such as great job security or extra vacation time. Here are stories by future educators who want to go beyond the curriculum and improve people’s lives all round.

by Savannah Luree Weverka

Teachers are the ones who ignited my love for learning and there is not a day that goes by when I do not challenge myself to a personal goal of lifelong learning.

My mother is a teacher, so I was a student educated in an institution filled with support and a home that also supported education. I recall many teacher “get-togethers” and Husker parties where an informal invitation led to my presence.

Due to all of this support and interaction received throughout my elementary and high school career, Elementary Education continues to be at the top of my career choices. And now, as a senior looking forward to graduating from high school,  teachers remain my role models .

In considering a focus in Elementary Education, I now realize that many teachers not only teach children eight hours of the day, but become doctors for scraped knees, dictionaries for challenging words, mediators between students, and parents away from home.

Now, as I am taking the steps to make my dream come true I hope to make school an escape to free their minds and expand their knowledge. I want to share my love of learning with my students.

by Aaron Banta

Since I was younger, I have had the dream of becoming a history teacher at the high school level. The reason I am striving for this career is thanks to a teacher I had.  They held such a passion for history and taught it so well that it made me want to keep learning everything I could about it.

In college, I have had to work multiple jobs and attend school full-time. I would wake up early in the morning and not get home until late at night. The one thing that kept me on top of my studying and work was the dream I have; to be able to teach history and express my love for it by teaching the next generation. I strive to impact their lives for the better just like mine was.

Being able to pass my courses and get a degree and teaching credentials is the first main goal I am striving for. But being able to have a positive impact on students I have will be an even greater goal that I want to accomplish. I am hoping to guide them through their study of my favorite subject so I can teach them about the world and help them just like my teacher had helped me.

by Chelsea Rogers

At USC Upstate, I am studying to be a Secondary Education Mathematics teacher. The math courses are not easy and the education courses pushes you to challenge yourself. The thought of being a future teacher is what motivates me to keep pushing.

Although I do not know any of my students, they are precious to me and I believe it is my job to change their lives for the better.  Teaching math is my job, but looking beyond my content and into the wellbeing of my students is my passion.

The question I always ask myself is how can I teach students who may not trust me? I have to establish a connection with each student so that they will see I care about them academically, physically, and emotionally. Once students see that you care about them in these areas, it becomes easier to teach them and they are willing to perform to the best of their ability because they know their teacher supports them 100 percent. Being a great teacher is what motivates me to continue striving for my degree.

by Micayla Watroba

One plus one is two. Phone is pronounced with an F sound. 60 divided by 15 is 4. An essay typically has five paragraphs. I know all these things because I went to school. I also had teachers that helped me understand it even when I didn’t get the same opportunities as everyone else.

See, when I was in first grade I was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia. This made school very hard. I was either out of school so often that I missed entire chapters or I was bullied so badly that I couldn’t focus because I was so scared. Having cancer also made it hard for my mom and dad to pay for food and rent much less after school activities and tutoring. I grew up knowing that there were some things that were just not in reach for us. 

For as bad as I had it, I can’t imagine having to live on the streets, going hungry, or even being taught in a language I don’t know.

My dream is to be the teacher that makes sure that every student gets an education that helps them succeed.  I want to make sure that my students not only enjoy being at school but feel safe while there.  My students will know that it doesn’t matter where they came from or what background they came from. I am going to be there and I will not leave them behind. This is my dream.

5. Promote Lifelong Learning in Young People

What inspires some people to become teachers is the power to set young people on the right education path. Helping children to have good early experiences and embrace the learning process can profoundly enhance someone’s life. The potential for transformative early development applies to handicapped and disadvantaged kids as much as anyone.

by Lesley Martinez-Silva

I aspire to make a difference in others’ lives through education. I’m studying to be an elementary school teacher because I believe that children can achieve so much more if they learn early of their potential.

Education has always been my priority. My parents always stressed the importance of obtaining an education, having missed that opportunity themselves. My parents taught me as a child that schooling was vital to success in life. Truly, that lesson has been the most important in my path to college. I don’t think I would’ve made it this far had I not taken my education seriously.

I want to teach others about the importance of education so they too can prosper.  Everything I’m learning at university is important for my future career and, if I don’t study it, I’m failing my future students. Every child deserves the best education available and I should strive to be the best educator possible to provide that for them. When balancing academics, work, and my social life, it can get challenging to keep going. But, with the future of children’s education in my hands, I always get back on track.

by Brianna Rivers

One of my goals is to become a teacher and work in an public elementary school within the greater Boston area (possibly my own elementary school). I want to be a teacher because I enjoy working with children and I know how important teachers are in children’s lives. I plan on receiving my Bachelor’s degree for Early Childhood Education and my Master’s degree in Special Education.

I want to major in Early Childhood Education because  early education is significant for children and is a building block for their future in learning . I also want to major in Special Education because I believe all children should receive equal learning opportunities as well as equal treatment (meaning an inclusive environment, etc).

I think all of my experiences have a positive impact on myself because I am learning more about what it takes to be a teacher and what it takes to be a good teacher. My experiences also have a positive impact on the children and adults I work with. I offer a helping hand to the teachers and a friendly face to the children.

I plan to continue to work hard and take advantage of learning opportunities to achieve both of my goals. Being a teacher is my desire and I will stop at nothing to be a great teacher one day.

by Jennamarie Moody

When I close my eyes, I picture myself in a school located in an urban setting, teaching a classroom of diverse yet alike students. These students are in the second grade, meaning that they are impressionable yet vulnerable to their environment whether this means at home, at school, or in their greater community.

Some of these students don’t speak English as their first language, and some come from low-income households that can limit their educational experiences outside of the classroom. And yet, no matter what differences these students bring to the table, their uniqueness flows throughout the classroom in such a positive energy that embraces, respects, and promotes learning. This is the goal I am working towards; the goal  to inspire our youth to become self-advocates for their learning .

Opportunities for equal educational experiences may not exist, however the beauty lies in the growth of love young students can develop as they are challenged in the classroom to question their surroundings. I plan to make a difference in the lives of the children I meet along the way, and to create a safe learning environment.

Although the tests for certification and studies can be difficult, my passion for education and dedication to shaping the lives of my students is what keeps me going. The end goal is to nurture the development of my students to become active and engaged participants in society, and that is what I intend to do completely.

by Julie Anderson

My long-time goal has been to become a teacher, and this year I’m in a class called Teachers for Tomorrow, where I get to shadow a kindergarten teacher. Working with her and the students has increased my interest in children with special needs.

From here on out, I want to support my students in academics and other parts of their lives so I can help them learn, grow, and succeed. I know that children need a strong start to their school career because the first few years of school are crucial; this is when students begin to love or hate learning itself. Whether or not children enjoy school, they deserve to appreciate learning. Students who love learning will always want to improve themselves.

I will make an effort to provide a loving environment where each child can prosper. However, for students with special needs, this task becomes even harder to accomplish because traditional classrooms are usually set up for non-disabled students.  While I know I can’t “save” every student I teach, and some of them will still hate learning, at least I can start them off right.

When I’m swamped with schoolwork, I will imagine my future students and how I could influence their lives. Even though not all of my college classes will relate to my major, forming a habit of working hard in college will help me to succeed as a future teacher.

6. Teachers Are Excellent Role Models

The experience of being helped and transformed by a good teacher leaves a lasting impression. Teaching is considered a noble profession for good reasons.

Some education students are motivated to become a teacher to emulate their own role models. They want to provide the same kind of service they once received. An added reason for pursuing a teaching career is to be a role model to younger people outside the classroom, including one’s own children.

by Teresa Pillifant

My first day – well, more like first semester- of my freshman year in high school was the hardest semester of my whole school career. Usually the kind of student who loves school, I found myself getting stomach aches in the morning and dreading school with my whole being. I was new to the school, and the number of students was overwhelming.

It seemed like there was no relief, except for my first hour Spanish class. Having no friends, I would always arrive at my first hour class early. As this pattern continued, my Spanish teacher and I developed a relationship. My teacher started giving me books to read, asking my opinion on what we should do in class and just talked to me in general about life. Through my teacher’s support, I grew to find my place in the school and became more confident.

Her kind words and actions inspired me to become a teacher myself.  Now, whenever school or life gets difficult, I think of my freshmen year Spanish teacher and how she inspired me. I want to do what she did for me for my future students. Whether it be a difficult test or a challenging class, my goal of making a difference in a student’s life keeps me going.

by Mo Cabiles

The world we live in is hard, unsteady and ruthless. We see this everyday in the harshness of homelessness, to social media screaming for justice. What motivates me to continue on is that I have felt the bitter cold bite of homelessness. I know what it’s like to not have enough to eat and to be scared of what will happen next.

I am fortunate to no longer be in those situations but that, by no means, is an indicator that it will all now come easy. As an adult learner and your “non-traditional” student, there are other obstacles I must overcome. From transportation to childcare or education application mastery to APA formatting, the many roadblocks I tackle both large and small are what I consider to be my victories.

I’ve seen what having a higher education can do for someone and I want that for myself and that of my daughters.  I strive to be a good example for them , to show them that, regardless of social standing and unforeseeable circumstances, if they work hard and put their best effort forward, they can achieve their dreams.

My dream is to obtain my Masters in Education with an emphasis in counseling. I want to be an academic advisor or guidance counselor. I’ve seen so many youths attempt community college and fail because they fell through the cracks. These students need to realize their potential and I want to help them achieve that and to be their cheerleader.

by Gia Sophia Sarris

In every school I’ve ever attended, experienced teachers were there to support and inspire me. I have looked up to these people ever since I was in elementary school, and they have had an immense and positive impact on my life and my view of the world.  My fondness for these people [educators] has led me to aspire to become a teacher.

I want to “pay it forward” and improve the lives of children and teenagers who grow up struggling as I did, or in any way for that matter. I want to make a difference in their lives and let them know that they are not alone with their problems.

This is what motivates me to study hard. Becoming a teacher, I believe, will help me fulfill my purpose in life, which I think is to create happiness and ease the burdens of others. I feel that children and teenagers need this especially, because they are struggling to understand the world and their place in it. I study hard for their sake.

by Jennifer Wolfert

From elementary school to my first year at college, I struggled to establish a dream for myself. Trying to figure out what career I wanted to pursue as successful adult always filled me with anxiety. I had spent multiple years in special education and left with a low academic self-esteem. So, after high school I attended Bucks County Community College in search for more time. Still I made no progress. Then I decided to change my outlook. I stopped asking “what do I want to do?” and started asking “who do I want to be?”. That’s when my dream took shape.

The educators that I met during my time at community college were my inspiration.  They are brilliant, hardworking people with a passion for their specialty that I had never seen before. Their belief in hard work was infectious. School began to fill me with excited anticipation and my grades improved. I started to believe that if I worked hard enough then I could be like them and inspire others like they had inspired me.

At the end of my second year attending community college, I accomplished a task that had previously racked me with fear. I applied to Temple University as a Secondary English Education major. I have now completed my second semester at Temple and earned my first 4.0 GPA. In time, I am confident that I will be able to accomplish my dream. I will become the passionate and inspiring educator that my younger self never had.

by Jenyfer Pegg

My entire life has been filled with discouragement. I grew up in a household where I was constantly told “No”. I was told my ideas were stupid and would not work. In my junior year of high school, my teachers and counselors started talking about college and sending in applications to different places. At that point, I knew I was not going. I came from a poor family and I knew we could never have money for something like college.

But I went on college visits, I listened to people speak about their college, and I was set. I had a lot of things pushing me, except the one thing I really wanted, my family. No one in my family has gone to college, and when I told my mother, she was shocked. She told me she just wanted me out of the house.

When I came to school, I realized I wanted to teach high school. I want to make an actual difference in someone else’s life. My family has taken the same road for years, and I’m not going down that road. I won’t live paycheck to paycheck like my mom, I will be a person that others will look up to.

I’m going to do something worthwhile, and I will work harder than anyone else if it gets me there.  I’ve seen what my life will be like without school and motivation and there is absolutely no way I’m going down that road. I’ve got bigger plans.

7. Unlock the Success Potential of Students

Educators want to help students in every way they can but, for some future teachers, the focus is on helping students soar. That child in front of you in the classroom might grow up to do great things for society, raise a strong family, or just be happy and fulfilled.

Whatever the potential of a pupil, a teacher’s job is to help unlock talents and remove any barriers to future success.

by Tamara Vega

The thing that motivates me the most is the thought of having my own classroom someday. I want to be the teacher that changes a child’s life, inspires them to set high goals for themselves and encourages them to reach it.

College can be so hard at times and I get really anxious and scared. I worry about not passing my classes and exams, I worry about not getting my degree. Despite that I do not give up because I have to do this and I want to do this.

I cannot see myself doing anything else besides teaching, I have never been this passionate about something. I want to graduate and get my degree. I’d love to look at it and say, “I worked hard for this and I earned it”.

The idea that the students in my classroom could grow up to cure cancer, or become president, pretty much anything they want, brings me so much excitement.   I want to be the teacher that they remember, the one who helped them realize their dream and who gave them the knowledge needed to reach it.

Be the teacher that I needed as a child but unfortunately never had. That is what gets me through all the stress and anxiety, I know in my heart that all the studying I’m doing right now will be worth it in the end.

by Nicole Gongora

The dream of success motivates me to study – not my success, my future students’ success. I push myself through the rough spots for them.

I was a lost child in high school; I didn’t know how to apply to college, let alone afford it. No child should have to experience that. As a future educator, I am committed to helping my students succeed, achieve more, and continue onto higher education.  Every child should be given the opportunity to showcase their strengths and follow their dreams.

College was never a dream for me; it was a far off, unattainable fantasy. I met some inspiring teachers in high school who encouraged me to change my life and who helped me to thrive. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I plan to work at a low-income school similar to the one I attended. These types of schools are the ones who lack resources. I will serve as a resource to my students and I hope to be an inspiration to them. In turn, I hope they become kind, respectful adults. I want them to see the virtue in helping others and I hope they will serve others in their future careers. I want to be the teacher they remember. I want to be the teacher that helped them succeed.

I’ll feel successful as a teacher if my students are successful in attaining their goals. If one student decides to achieve more then I will have lived out my dream.

by Madison Sherrill

I’ve decided to become a teacher because I want to show the value of compassion and diversity.

As I begin college this upcoming fall, my main motivation is the students. While I haven’t even met them yet, they inspire me to persist in my classes and stay optimistic.  My classroom will support innovative thinking and celebrate each student’s individuality.

As a classroom teacher, I want to encourage and positively influence the next generation. They should know that they can be successful and achieve what they aspire to become while making the world better. By teaching the value of inclusiveness and the power of kindness, my students may turn out to be visionary thinkers and leading members of society.

by Alicia Costin

I am returning to school after taking a few years off. After graduating from California Lutheran University with my BS in Mathematics, I wanted to land a job with benefits and begin my “adult life”.

While it took me a few months to find my current job, is it just that; a job. I have benefits, a full-time schedule, weekends and holidays off, but am I happy? Is this what I want to do as a career for the rest of my life? I have asked myself this question a few times and the answer is always the same; no.

My dream is to become a teacher and help motivate and encourage students to do their best in their studies and in life.  It is my dream to do what I was meant to do; shape young minds and help future generations.

When things become difficult during my graduate program, I know to keep pushing, thriving, and studying hard so that, when I do become a teacher, I can use this as a positive story to shape their way of life. I landed a job outside of college, however now it is time for me to land my career.

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How to become a classroom teacher, who taught the first teacher, what can i do with a master’s in education, why teaching is still a good career choice.

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7 reasons why becoming a teacher might be right for you

Teachers have a profound impact on students, molding their futures and imparting life lessons. This guide helps answer the following questions you may have about why you should become a teacher, including:

• Why is teaching a good career?
• Why should someone want to be a teacher?
• How do I answer why I want to be a teacher?
• Why teaching is a good career?
• Why is it important that we are teachers?

This guide has seven great reasons to help you find the answer you need and also explores the perks that make teaching a rewarding profession beyond the classroom.

Is becoming a teacher right for you?

If you’re thinking of becoming a teacher, you’re likely weighing the pros and cons of the job. No job is perfect, life and careers have unavoidable stressors and tasks that you may like less than others. But if you’re considering a career in education, it’s important to ask yourself why you want to become a teacher. Luckily for you, we’ve got seven great reasons to help you get started.

1. You can make a difference.

Becoming a teacher means you’ll be molding future generations through the curriculum you set and bits of personal wisdom you impart. You’ll have the ability and power to teach life lessons as well as core subjects. There’s a good chance that you may be spending more waking hours with these children than their own parents. This means you’ll be the one to help teach them social skills, time management, conflict resolution, how to cope with stressors and how to focus on a task.

If we were lucky, we had a teacher who is indelible in our minds. They showed how much they cared about us and their subject, they inspired us to be better, push harder, go further. Now is your turn to be that teacher for someone else.

2. You’ll get variety in your days.

If you teach high school, you may teach the same lesson content several times in one day, but with new faces and personalities each period, it’s unlikely that the actual lesson will unfold the same way twice. There’s always the chance that students will ask different questions, have different struggles and different reactions to the subject matter. Your days will likely be interesting and varied, making for days that don’t feel as monotonous or sluggish.

3. You can share your love of learning.

4. you’ll have great job security..

Teaching is also a skill that can transfer nearly anywhere. If you train and become a certified teacher, you’ll be able to work almost anywhere in the world. Whether you’re teaching English or a special subject, you could theoretically teach and explore the globe at the same time. International schools and education programs are expanding globally and look for instructors who have trained and are certified.

5. Fun is encouraged

Teaching is also a highly social job. Becoming a teacher means you’ll be joining a team of colleagues who you can lean on in hard times and laugh with during the good. You’ll be interacting with your fellow faculty members as well as students and their parents. Becoming a teacher means becoming a key member of the community as you get to know families.

6. You’ll have a pretty great schedule.

The holidays that teachers get are undoubtedly a pretty great perk of the job. If you become a teacher you may get nearly eight weeks off each summer, paid time off in winter and spring. Most teachers also get paid holidays in addition to the breaks and professional development days without students so that they can have a quiet work day.

7. There are intangible rewards.

But nothing can beat the moment when a student who has been struggling with a concept “gets” it. The sight of their joy when it “clicks” for them and they celebrate their accomplishment is likely one of the greatest rewards of teaching.

This is more than a job.

Whether you’re already an administrator looking for ways to advocate for yourself and your colleagues, or an aspiring school principal looking ahead for ways to fully prepare for the position, consider how an online master's in educational administration from a Top 10 Best Education School (among public universities) 4 can help you achieve your goals to the best of your ability.

• Retrieved on September 23, 2019, from suttontrust.com/research-paper/great-teaching/
• Retrieved on September 23, 2019, from forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2019/09/05/we-need-to-stop-talking-about-the-teacher-shortage/

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How Passionate Teaching Can Inspire Students

Article Summary

• Public Agenda’s study found that 43 percent of college dropouts claimed they had to take too many classes they didn’t consider useful.|Effective learning starts with learner relevance, and every subject can prove valuable once a student sees a connection between the content and their life.|By simply highlighting students’ progress with recognition, rewards and encouragement throughout the semester, instructors add meaning beyond learning the subject matter. |When students start to see the benefits that come from doing well in class, instructors can start to connect in-class achievements with constructive feedback that can be used on campus and in the workplace.
• field_5cf83622ba22e

Understand Where Passion Starts

Without a passion for learning, students can lose focus and interest in completing your course—or worse, their education. A 2009 study by Public Agenda found that 45 percent of recent college dropouts listed boredom as a reason they decided to leave.

The good news: Your excitement can be contagious! Expressing your passion for teaching or the subject you teach , can grab your students’ attention and drive engagement.

“Love what you teach, and they will love it too.”   -Sandra Scheier, Psychology Instructor at Kennesaw State University

Research links passionate teaching directly to a student’s willingness to learn and experience new ideas. But to incorporate passion into your teaching, you must understand where it begins.

Start by reflecting on the moments that led to your career as an educator. What reeled you into the idea of teaching and drew you to your field of study? Ask yourself what you liked or disliked at first, and why you felt that way. Acknowledge important mentors you met along the way, taking time to consider what made their input so impactful. Recollect the moments where things started to come together, and you finally felt you had found your passion. Remember the excitement—because it’s that enthusiasm that can guide your students towards a meaningful career path. Your love for teaching the subject you teach, can reach students through the energy you show in class, and give students the fuel to stay the course.

“Show your passion for what you love to do. The more excited you are, the more excited your students will be.”   -Terry Weideman, Nutrition Instructor at Oakland Community College

Harness the Power of Your Students’ Curiosity

Passion begins when students explore their curiosity, but first, they must determine if the area is worthy of their time. Public Agenda’s study found that 43 percent of college dropouts claimed they had to take too many classes they didn’t consider useful. Although common, this assumption doesn’t have to seal your course’s fate. Any subject can prove useful —but getting your students to connect with the content starts with how you present the information. When challenged with students who don’t have a primary interest in your discipline, remember that every student can benefit from passion-based learning —and there are ways to link your course to their interests and skills.

Effective learning starts with learner relevance , and every subject can prove valuable once a student sees a connection between the content and their life. A musician can become a better songwriter from an English course. An athlete can perform better on the field after learning how to take care of their body in a Nutrition class. A Criminal Justice major can learn about human behavior from a Psychology professor—applying this knowledge when working on a case. Anyone can apply Accounting knowledge to spending money in the real world.

Linking concepts to local cases, current issues, news and events—especially those that impact your students—is another way to make your course more relatable and learner-centric. Constantly updating your material is key to keeping concepts fresh for students and applicable to their every-day lives.

“Show the relevance of the subject matter and make it fun and meaningful! My excitement for what I teach is obvious, and my students can see it and feel it. I believe in what I teach.”   -Sandy Keeter, Computing Professor at Seminole State College

When curiosity turns into interest, students become invested in what they’re learning and pay closer attention—processing information more effectively while developing learning strategies that make course concepts stick. Interest keeps students focused, working harder and longer and enables them to stack new knowledge upon old knowledge. The best way for a student to discover areas of strength is to delve into physical, intellectual and creative activities outside their comfort zone. The more they try, the more opportunities they’ll have to discover their passion.

You can also take it outside of the classroom, pairing students with help centers, colleagues and any other resources that align with their interests. If they’re having trouble identifying interest areas, guide them towards the multitude of personality tests and career quizzes available online.

Lead with Real-Life Examples

Authentic experiences are meant to be shared and learned from—because they make a lasting impression on students while sparking self-reflection. A study of 257 professional musicians found the most important characteristics of their first teachers were the ability to communicate well—to be friendly, chatty and encouraging—and the capacity to pass on their love of music through modeling and playing well.

Think of a moment in your career that you’ll never forget, then consider what made it so meaningful. Not every student will share your passion, but by sharing honest anecdotes from your own life, you’ll inspire conversation and query. Real experience includes success and failure, so sharing triumphs and mistakes offers lessons students can apply long after graduation.

“I’m genuinely in love with my profession: being a social worker is not just a job but a commitment to making the world a better place, and that’s at the core of who I am. I share that with my students. I give them the good and the bad: I don’t sugarcoat what I’ve experienced in this field, and students respond positively to this authenticity. I ask my students to dig deep as to why they chose this field, and what inspires them. The work we do in the classroom will give structure and understanding to what happens in the field, and I am constantly drawing parallels between the two.”   – Renee Rawcliffe, Social Work Instructor at Simmons College

Add Significance to Success

You’re challenged with helping every student—including difficult or uninterested students—because all students have something to offer, and something to gain from your course. To reach everyone—majors and non-majors, students required to take your course and those who’ve enrolled just for fun—focus on the positive outcomes that can be achieved from success in your class.

By simply highlighting students’ progress with recognition, rewards and encouragement throughout the semester, instructors add meaning beyond learning the subject matter. Use students’ breakthroughs, high scores on homework and exams, leadership skills displayed in class or group projects, extra credit work or in-class competitions to call-out your students’ wins to make learning the curriculum a positive experience. Honoring students’ achievements will get them excited to come to class and eager to participate. The more students partake in class—the more they’ll learn about course concepts—building and improving upon their critical thinking skills.

When students start to see the benefits that come from doing well in class, instructors can start to connect in-class achievements with constructive feedback that can be used on campus and in the workplace.

“I try to share multiple ways that the course content can be applied in a career setting. I also share examples of how I used the course content in my career before teaching and how I use the content now in a teaching role. I tell students to add this content to your toolbox because you never know when you might need it.”   – Donna Sue Shellman, Medical Office Administration Instructor at Gaston College

Encourage today’s learners by sharing what has inspired you throughout your profession. Showcasing your passion through teaching will connect students to the course material, stimulate their engagement and drive their achievements in class—and eventually a career.

Looking for more ways to boost student engagement in your course? Explore more faculty strategies in our free student engagement handbook .

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Career Goals — 500 Words on Why I Want to Be a Teacher

500 Words on Why I Want to Be a Teacher

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Published: Mar 18, 2021

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10 Reasons To Love Teaching

Author biography.

John Dabell

Why do you love teaching?

There is a fair amount of negativity and pessimism among teaching professionals sometimes but then that’s hardly surprising given budget cuts, workload burdens, professional encroachment and general uncertainties about what politicians will do next. They all take pieces out of our health and wellbeing and there are plenty of other things that do too.

But we should take every opportunity to remind ourselves what makes teaching great.

1. Transform children’s lives

There isn’t another job on the planet with so much transformative influence and power where you really do make a difference to young people. Teachers are remembered for life. Children remember the good ones and the not so good ones! The buzz of teaching is the opportunity to profoundly impact the lives of children. Teachers are change agents and transformers.

2. Are diagnosticians

Teachers are expert at assessing children’s needs. They can spot strengths and weaknesses and know what to do with them. They nurture talent, foster confidence and consistently keep needs on their radar. They help children set targets and goals and help them achieve personal bests.

3. Are safe and trusted

Children need stability in their lives and they look to their teachers for safety and security. Children trust teachers who won’t give up on them or let them down. Teachers are constant companions throughout the year and beyond.

4. Are powerful advocates

Teachers can champion the rights of children and make sure that children get seen and heard. Teachers offer an incredibly high level of support to vulnerable children, speak up for them and advocate for those whose voices are not being heard. Marginalised children and communities often rely on teachers to stand up for them and teachers do it with pride.

5. Are blessed

Experiencing the rich tapestry of school life gives teachers insights into child development and enormous advantages over many other professions. Teachers witness growth on a daily basis and are instrumental in helping others improve minute by minute. They know ‘the whole child’ and share in a range of unique of feelings, thoughts and emotions.

6. Are inclusive

Teachers have to work in teams and are dependent on the help of others. They are good at knowing their limits and they know that support is there if they need it. Teachers are pragmatic, enthusiastic and motivated people who get things done because they are part of a system that thrives on being a community.

7. Are adaptable

Plate-spinning? No Problem. Ball-juggling? No problem. Sword-swallowing? Get out of here.

Multi-tasking is what teachers have to be good at and this is a reason to love teaching because there aren’t many jobs that offer such rich diversity, chaos, mess, noise, laughter and guaranteed pandemonium and excitement. The job throws a lot at us but that’s better than sitting in an office all day.

8. Are always learning

You are constantly learning and teaching makes it impossible to be bored! You add to your skills everyday – you never stop developing curriculum expertise, you learn to manage people and you learn a lot about yourself. If you think about it, you have an impressive array of skills. You also learn that children are the best teachers and just being with them teaches you loads.

9. Are their own bosses

Okay you have to work within a system and there are policies galore to follow with huge amounts of accountability but…you still enjoy a fair degree of autonomy and control. You have your own class and you can implement your own ideas, go off piste, experiment, explore, be eccentric, be unpredictable or be yourself. You can do what you want to do.

10. Are addicted

Yes the holidays are fabulous and well-deserved but you secretly can’t wait to get back to your classroom because you miss being with the children and doing what you do. Teachers are seriously addicted to their craft.

Teachers are all these things and more, and we should try to remember this when the day-to-day pressures of work make it hard to see the wood for the trees

We have previously considered what makes teaching the best job in the world and listed 156 reasons here!

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Home » Blog » 4 Reasons to Love Teaching

4 Reasons to Love Teaching

CHALKING THE LINE | BY DEB MEYER  | 7 MIN READ

Why choose teaching as a career? Many current and future teachers respond with something like, “I love kids.”

But is that really sufficient? Many professions involve working with kids. However, few professions can be as emotionally satisfying and simultaneously demanding as teaching. So in this month’s blog I want to unpack some of that passion with a simple acronym— LOVE —that highlights how teachers show their passion for teaching through their love of learning. And how their love for teaching keeps their passions flowing.

The Reasons to Love Teaching

• O wning Mistakes
• V oicing Confidence

Good teachers are good listeners. Phenomenal teachers are great listeners. The best teachers are genuinely interested in their students, so they enjoy hearing their ideas, reactions, experiences and thoughts. Teachers who listen well plan instruction that leverages student interests and experiences. There is nothing more powerful to students than authentic and relevant learning that excites them. And students can tell when teachers have listened carefully to them.

Teachers who listen …

… ask better questions, because they want to understand what their students are thinking. “Listening teachers” are able to adjust their instruction in the moment and more effectively respond to student ideas or misunderstandings.

… build strong student-teacher relationships that are essential for positive classroom environments. In emotionally healthy classrooms, teacher listening promotes student success both academically and social-emotionally. These teachers know their students and how they learn—they continually ask questions to get to know them better and monitor “How’s it going?”—in the classroom and in daily life.

… do so for relational and informational reasons. They find the ideas students come up with fascinating and their questions challenging. They learn from listening to students’ thinking—about students’ lives and about how to become better teachers.

… are passionate listeners and learners. And when you see them in a school setting, their students seem to be doing all the talking.

Take a few minutes to listen, and watch what I mean about this part of the LOVE of teaching by viewing the trailer for the film Passion to Teach .

Owning Mistakes

Passionate teachers take co-ownership in learning. This means that when teaching decisions don’t work for a student, the teacher owns it. It means that when students make mistakes, teachers own those mistakes with them. Why? Because when teachers are passionate about learning they view mistakes as essential guideposts on the way to more meaningful learning, and are partners with students.

Owning mistakes means attaining what Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset.” Teachers who can help students see the constructive nature of our mistakes are excellent role models for learners. On the other hand, teachers who emphasize errorless learning are promoting a mindset of “Some of us have it, some don’t.” Where’s the passion in that belief?

An important way to model a growth mindset is to acknowledge mistakes publicly. All teachers make mistakes, but some spend their efforts downplaying them or avoiding them in the first place, rather than showing that errors are a natural part of learning. Students need to see their teachers struggle with new ideas, reflect skepticism, and admit that they just don’t know the answer or are having difficulty.

Owning mistakes builds trust because we trust people who are vulnerable and open with us. We find them honest, authentic and approachable. We are wary of making mistakes around people who are perfectionists or rarely stumble because we feel inadequate. But real learning is frequently difficult, frustrating and uncomfortable. We need to be with people who see our errors as progress, not defeat.

What’s your growth mindset?

• Learn more by taking this short self-assessment on Dweck’s webpage.

Voicing Confidence

Teachers who are passionate believe in their students and never stop telling them that. These teachers believe that all students can be successful and aren’t afraid to tell them. Voicing confidence in students is really about voicing confidence in our own teaching. When teachers have high teaching efficacy, they believe they can help their students learn and be successful. And research has shown that students who have highly efficacious teachers feel more efficacious themselves.

Teacher efficacy is communicated through a consistent belief in student success. Teachers with high efficacy have growth mindsets because, rather than giving up, they seek out new ideas and try different approaches to make sure every student is supported.

Anita Woolfolk Hoy , whose research was seminal in this area, also emphasizes how important it is for groups of teachers working together to share “collective efficacy”—the belief that, as a team, they can help all students be successful. These teachers are passionate about their collective mission to be the best for their students because they voice confidence in their students’ ultimate success. When students have teachers who believe in them, their passion for learning is ignited.

If you’re a new teacher or an educator who has been teaching for many years, you might be skeptical about what has been suggested so far—LOV. But the ability to teach with passion is within every teacher who builds healthy relationships, steps out of the routine and stands up for students. Teaching with passion means you are confident in yourself and in your students. If you need more convincing, read this age-old advice from Jonathan Kozol .

How do teachers stay passionate? They continuously evolve, which is another one of the reasons to love teaching. Passion in teaching transcends generations. Teachers change with their students by exploring new ideas, approaches and possibilities in a changing world. These teachers’ feet are never planted in one decade or rooted in one way of thinking. Instead, they continue to explore curriculum in different ways that are both relevant and meaningful to each generation. They are creative and embrace change. They like the fact that, in teaching, no two days are the same. Every class and every year opens up new possibilities for passionate teachers to explore along with their students.

Remaining passionate about teaching means that the work becomes all-consuming—not in the sense that we think of nothing else, but in the sense that everything we do is part of our identity as a teacher. The family vacation builds experiences that will find a place in the classroom. The classroom experiences will lead teachers to new projects outside of school. The passion will become an ebb and flow, giving teaching relevance and continuity.

One of my favorite stories of a teacher’s passion comes from Rafe Esquith’s book Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire . He experienced being so absorbed in his science lesson one day that his hair caught on fire and he didn’t notice. But that’s just the beginning of his story (and the inspiration for the title of his book). In describing his teaching approach, he highlights how he also ignited the passion within himself and his students.

• Learn more about his story on NPR.

Why teach? A lot of teachers will proclaim that they are changing the world one student at a time. But I prefer an answer that is more like Macklemore’s quote because when teachers teach with passion, they are in the moment with their students: Listening , owning mistakes , voicing confidence and evolving with them.

Don’t try to change the world Find something that you love And do it every day Do that for the rest of your life And eventually The world will change —Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, “Growing Up”

Teaching with passion is LOVE . The kind of love that isn’t celebrated on Valentine’s Day, but rather each and every school day.

Why do you teach? Or why do you want to teach? Share your reasons to love teaching in the comments.

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Posted February 14, 2019

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Why I Want to Be a Teacher, Essay Sample

Teaching is a noble job that requires passion, dedication, and commitment. It’s a challenging yet rewarding career with many rewards and opportunities. Thinking about becoming a teacher? Well, this essay, written with the help of custom paper writing service , will explore why I want to be a teacher, what inspired my interest in teaching, and the different roles teachers play in the lives of students. 

I Want to Become a Teacher Because It Inspires Me

I have always been passionate about education and helping other people learn. Ever since I was in high school, I enjoyed attending classes as well as helping out my peers with their studies. As an adult, I realized how much of an impact teachers can have on students’ lives. Seeing the positive influence that educators had on their students made me want to become part of it too. 

I had some truly incredible teachers who encouraged me to pursue my dreams and gave me the confidence that I could do anything if I put my mind to it. They inspired me with how much effort they put into making sure their students were engaged and learning in an enjoyable way. Their enthusiasm for teaching was contagious, and it made me want to become a teacher myself one day.

Being a Teacher is Very Responsible

Teachers are more than just instructors; they are mentors and role models for their students. They take on multiple roles such as educator, counselor, advisor, confidant, friend, and even parent figure at times. In addition to teaching academic content knowledge and skills necessary for success in life after school, teachers also need to be able to build meaningful relationships with their students, so they can help them develop emotionally and socially while also providing guidance when needed.  

Teaching is an Important Social Role

Besides, teachers play a principal role in society because they help young people develop their minds and learn new skills. They teach students things such as reading, writing, and math, but also how to be responsible citizens of the country.

Teaching Makes it Easy to Meet Different People

I also want to be a teacher because it will allow me to work with people from all walks of life. There are many different types of people in the world, and having the opportunity to work with all of them would be amazing!

The Power of Education

Another reason I want to become a teacher is that I believe in the power of education. Education can open doors that would otherwise remain closed; it can give people opportunities they never would have had before; it can be life-changing. As a teacher, I will have the chance to help instill these values into my students while providing them with valuable knowledge that will stay with them for years to come. 

Teaching Helps to Make Changes

In addition to it, teaching gives me the chance to make a difference in someone else’s life — and that’s something that money just can’t buy! When you are able to inspire someone else and watch them grow as an individual, it is incredibly rewarding. 

Moreover, teaching provides you with plenty of opportunities for growth and development yourself: you get to work alongside other inspiring professionals and learn new skills every day! 

Being a teacher is not just about imparting knowledge from textbooks but it’s about inspiring others to reach for greatness and supporting them through it all. It’s a complex job that requires great responsibility, but one that can be immensely rewarding when you see your students succeed because of your efforts. 

That’s why I want to be a teacher – so I can make an impact on future generations by helping them reach their full potential while making sure they have fun while learning!

Tips on Writing Why I Want to be a Teacher Essay

A teacher is one of the most important professionals in any society. They are responsible for teaching students various subjects including math, science, English, and many more. If you want to become a teacher, then you should write an essay on why you want to be a teacher. To start with, you can read personal statement essay example . The essay will show your passion for education and how much you want this job. Here are some tips that will help you write an amazing essay

Give a Clear Answer to Yourself

Make sure you have an answer. The most important thing about this essay is that it has a very clear and concise point. This means that you need to be able to clearly explain why you want to become a teacher and why it’s important for you. If you can’t do this, then your essay will not be successful at all. 

So make sure that before you begin writing, you know exactly what your answer will be (and how it will relate to the question). This way, when someone reads it, they will understand exactly what your intentions are with becoming a teacher and why it’s important for them too.

Use an Appropriate Tone

Choose a friendly tone for your essay so that your reader can easily understand what you are trying to say without having any confusion or difficulty in understanding. Use active voice instead of passive voice whenever possible, since it makes your writing more engaging and readable.

Narrow Your Focus

Another important step in writing your “Why I Want to Be a Teacher” Essay is to narrow your focus. You do not have to write about all the reasons why you want to teach; rather, focus on one specific reason that is important to you.

By following these tips, you can create a compelling and persuasive essay that demonstrates your commitment to becoming a teacher.

Key Reasons Why Someone Might Want to Become a Teacher

Teaching is a profession that involves shaping the minds and lives of the next generation. It can be a challenging yet rewarding career that offers many opportunities for personal and professional growth. Here are some of the key reasons why someone might want to become a teacher:

Note that these are just some of the reasons why someone might want to become a teacher. Teaching can be a fulfilling and rewarding profession for those who have a passion for education and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others.

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Six reasons why I love being a teacher

Do you have a passion for inspiring and educating young learners? Teaching is one of the rewarding career options available to you with a degree in Education. A career in teaching will provide you with the opportunity to instil knowledge and make and impact on the upcoming generation. 

We spoke to Catherine Hemingway, a final year BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS student, to find out why she loves being a teacher.

Teaching is really rewarding. It’s satisfying to see children progress both academically and non-academically as rounded people and future citizens. You might not realise it but you are the children’s role model. They have different backgrounds – and some don’t have the role model they need at home – but for that time in their lives you are the one they look to for help and guidance.

I became interested in teaching through helping my dad with sports coaching. The children who came to the athletics club in the morning tended to struggle at school. We got feedback that, since starting doing sport, these children were going on to be more engaged at school in the afternoon and were making more progress than before. I’m now planning my major project for my final year on how exercising in the morning affects children’s attainment.

These are just six of the reasons I love being a teacher:

1. Every child is different

You learn quickly that children don’t fit into stereotypes – the sporty one, quiet one, high achiever etc. It doesn’t end up like that. They all have different backgrounds and you get to see the children grow in all sorts of ways. You can support them with their home life and relationships with peers as well as their academic work – you just have to find a way in with each individual. I had a girl who wouldn’t read but I found out she likes cats so I found her a book with cats in and she loved it! Her dad then started buying her more cat books. Other children have specific needs. When I was at school there were only a few children with recognised special educational needs. Now there’s much more awareness, you can have 10 pupils in a class with different needs that you need to support in some way to help them make progress.

2. You learn from teaching

One of the things I Iike about teaching in primary schools is teaching the range of subjects. I’ve never had one subject that I loved or excelled at more than the others, so primary teaching has allowed me to develop in all the subject areas I have to teach. This is what I try to pass one to the children; you don’t want them to think they’re only good in one subject. It also means I never get tired of a curriculum area and that I’m developing my knowledge in a range of areas all the time. You can’t be an expert in everything all the time so you have to go away and research things before you teach it to the children. Teaching also keeps my technology skills up-to-date as schools are using new technology all the time. For example, the children sometimes use iPads for tests now, which is helpful in making tests less scary – plus I get instant data back to see how they’re doing. One of the schools I was in during my first year even has a 4D classroom!

3. You really do make a difference

You get wins with both individuals and the whole class all the time but sometimes you can really transform a child’s life. During one placement, a child had just joined the school from an African tribe. He didn’t speak much English and communicated by pointing. He was in Year 5 but was being given phonics classes with much younger children, which really upset him. The school were doing it so he learnt the basics but it wasn’t helping due the way he felt. I started working with him on a one-to-one basis (when I was supporting the class teacher) and made sure the work I gave him was at his level but still related to the lesson (when I was teaching), rather than a separate activity. He also got sent in from playtime regularly because he was frustrated with not being able to communicate with his classmates so I also did extra reading with him. These small changes had a big impact and his mum even started asking for extra work for him to do at home. By the end of my placement two months later, he was speaking and writing in full sentences and made progress in maths. When I left he gave me handshake and said, “Thank you very much, Miss.” It was so lovely!

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4. The children can surprise you!

You can’t not smile when you’re working with children. The comments they come out with can amuse and surprise you! They range from being told I’m like someone’s mum, pupils who think I’m really young, those who ask how many children I have even though I’m only 20, to those who tell me they love me and bring in cards. I even had one girl who would actively give me feedback on my lessons – for good and bad! But feedback from their point of view is actually really useful to help me to reflect on why a particular lesson was or wasn’t successful. The children are pretty open and honest generally as I also get compliments (and criticism) about my outfits!

5. Every day is different

As the children are all different and we teach a variety of subjects, every day is different. For example, you could be working on a cross-curricular project about the rainforest, which might cover skills and knowledge in English, science, art, geography and history, but you equally might have a parent helper in for the day, take the children swimming or even have an external visitor in, such as a sports agency or supermarket to engage the children about healthy lifestyles. We get involved in things like World Book Day and even had a maths day at my first placement school. We all dressed up as a number on the side of a die and did fun activities that related to real life. Maths can be a subject they either love or hate but the day really helped to them understand why it’s useful and definitely improved their perception.

6. Schools are communities

Primary schools are usually small so everyone knows each other. You work as a team and can support each other. In larger primary schools I’ve seen the teachers work as team, having the one who is strongest in English, for example, take the higher achievers in that subject; this plays to the teachers’ strengths and helps the pupils’ progress. If you’re a community it’s not like work. For me it’s more like going back to school myself as we’re learning from each other and learning from the senior leadership team. You share ideas and can work together to implement them rather than being competitive like some industries. This follows all the way from the Head to teaching assistants; everyone has a valuable role to play in the school community.

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Essay on Why Did You Choose To Become A Teacher

Students are often asked to write an essay on Why Did You Choose To Become A Teacher in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Why Did You Choose To Become A Teacher

Passion for knowledge.

I chose to become a teacher because I love learning. I enjoy gaining new information and sharing it with others. Being a teacher lets me keep learning and pass my knowledge to my students.

Inspiring Young Minds

I believe that children are our future. As a teacher, I can inspire them to do their best. I can help them find their passions and guide them towards their goals.

Creating a Positive Impact

Teachers can change lives. They can help students grow and become better people. I wanted to have that kind of positive impact on the world.

Job Satisfaction

Teaching is a job that brings me joy. Seeing my students learn and succeed is very rewarding. It makes me feel happy and satisfied with my work.

The Joy of Teaching

250 words essay on why did you choose to become a teacher, love for learning.

I chose to become a teacher because I love learning. Ever since I was a child, I have been curious. I always wanted to know more about the world around me. I thought, what better way to keep learning than to become a teacher? As a teacher, I learn new things every day, and it keeps my mind active and excited.

Sharing Knowledge

Another reason is my passion for sharing knowledge. I believe that knowledge is a gift that grows when shared. As a teacher, I can share what I know with my students and see them grow in understanding. It’s a great feeling when a student understands a concept I’ve taught.

Making a Difference

I also chose this profession because I wanted to make a difference in the world. Teachers play a big role in shaping the future. We guide young minds and help them become responsible adults. I wanted to be part of that journey.

Creating a Positive Environment

Lastly, I wanted to create a positive learning environment. I remember how my teachers made learning fun and exciting. I wanted to do the same for my students. I believe that a positive environment helps students learn better.

In conclusion, my love for learning, sharing knowledge, making a difference, and creating a positive environment led me to become a teacher. It’s a choice I’m glad I made. I get to make a difference every day, and that’s a wonderful feeling.

500 Words Essay on Why Did You Choose To Become A Teacher

Introduction.

As a student, I was always fascinated by how much there was to learn about the world. Every new fact, every new idea was like a tiny treasure, waiting to be discovered. I loved the feeling of understanding something new, of seeing the world in a different way. I wanted to share this joy with others, to help them discover the wonder of learning. This is what led me to choose teaching as a profession.

Desire to Make a Difference

Teachers have a unique chance to shape the future. They guide students, helping them grow into responsible, thoughtful adults. I wanted to be part of this process. I wanted to help students understand their potential, to believe in themselves, and to strive for their dreams. The thought of being able to make such a difference in a young person’s life was a major factor in my decision to become a teacher.

Passion for Sharing Knowledge

I have always been passionate about sharing knowledge. The joy of seeing a student’s eyes light up when they grasp a new concept is priceless. I wanted to be the one to spark that light, to help students discover their interests and talents. Teaching offered me the perfect platform to do this.

Respect for the Profession

I have always held teachers in high regard. They are the ones who inspire us, motivate us, and guide us towards our goals. They play a pivotal role in shaping our lives. I wanted to be part of this noble profession, to contribute to society in a meaningful way. This respect for the profession was another strong reason why I chose to become a teacher.

Choosing to become a teacher was a decision born out of love for learning, a desire to make a difference, a passion for sharing knowledge, and respect for the profession. It was not just about choosing a job, but about choosing a way of life. It was about choosing to spend my days doing something that I love, something that I believe in, and something that I know can make a real difference in the world.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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Zest for learning… into the rainforest of teaching.

10 Reasons to Love Teaching

1. Doing the things you love while you’re at work

It has always struck me as remarkable and fortuitous that I am paid to do a job where I get to have so much fun. In my lessons, I have the chance to explore my favourite subject – Physics. Today I was talking about space, time and gravity with my Y13s; on Monday I took my Y9s outside to make a scale model of the solar system on the field. I had as much fun as anyone. Earlier, my colleagues were getting excited that our Cosmic Ray Detector, built over several years from scratch, was sparking nicely. Teaching is full of those moments – if you create them.

But it’s not just the joy of teaching your subject specialism – you can do all kinds of other things: play in the orchestra, watch or direct a drama production, go on school trips around the UK and around the world, coach a sports team; get involved in debates; run a Model United Nations; set up a club where students help you do something you want to do – make videos, create a garden, keep chickens, build a go-cart; go on camping expeditions for DofE. And so on. What other job is like that, affording so many opportunities to engage in your passions and to share them with other people.

2. Making a difference: Knowing it’s the most important job

As Chris Husbands, Director of the IoE, said to my students today, education is to the 21st C what oil was to the 20th C and coal was to the industrial revolution. We’re in the business of giving young people the greatest asset in the world economy. We’re doing the thing that transforms lives. It’s a big deal – which is why we spend so much time talking about how to get it right. But, across the wide landscape of careers, this is the ONE. You’re in the right place people. Be happy.

3. Young People are Wonderful

Today, students who finished their A levels in June came back for Prize Giving after a term at university. It was wonderful to talk to them…people I knew as 12-year olds, now adults living their lives, already with many tales to tell. My Year 9s can frustrate me – gosh, they like to talk! But they amaze me in equal measure – so many ideas, so curious about the world and always looking for a channel for their enthusiasm and joie de vivre. These are the people that make it all worthwhile; each one a unique personality with different attitudes and ways of thinking, bursting with possibilities for the future. The relationships you can form with your students as you strive together to maximise their learning are quite wonderful.

We may feel we’re teachers of a subject – but we’re not; we’re teachers of students learning our subject. It’s really all about them – and that’s the joy.

4. Local Community; Global Community

Schools are great places aren’t they? I love that sense of being part of something; belonging to a group of people with a shared sense of purpose; a common identity and common challenges. When you are a teacher, you are part of a much bigger project – there’s a vision for reaching audacious goals where you need to play your part. At their best, schools are giant families, offering that sense of togetherness and mutual support. We’re all in it together.

At the same time, and increasingly as social media links us all up, we’re all part of a much wider community as teachers. I love the idea of being engaged in a global profession. People are doing what I do in every town and village across the world. Even just within the UK, it’s exciting to think of all the connections we can make with other people doing the same job we do…sharing ideas, working together to improve the whole system, not just our tiny patch of it.

5. The rewards of achievement

School life has a routine for sure… but then it is punctuated with moments of pure joy. These are often when a student makes a break-through. “John, YES – that’s it – brilliant! Say that again…” “You see.. you CAN do it. That’s a really good answer; great piece of drawing; excellent analysis; well crafted paragraph; insightful essay”. These are the great moments…watching a student struggle and then to emerge with a clear grasp of an idea. At Prize Giving today, this struck me. It wasn’t the book; or the cup, medal or certificate – it was just the reward of having achieved that meant the most to them. Not many jobs give you the opportunity so witness achievement on a daily basis in that way.

6. Every Day is Different

There is never a dull moment in teaching …something is always going on. Of course, there are tough days…it’s a challenging job, just as any worthwhile job should be. But no two days are the same – especially if you teach so that every lesson is a bit of a journey into the unknown. The lessons, events, incidents and interactions with colleagues, students and parents that make up the week demand such a wide range of skills, engaging different modes of thinking: being strategic and planning ahead, analysing problems and finding solutions, being agile and responsive to questions and situations; and, very often, running through a range of emotions, from laughing to crying…it’s all in a day’s work.

7. Strategic challenges and leadership opportunities

Schools are fabulously complicated and challenging organisations. I’ve always found the intellectual and personal challenge of running a great lesson, a year group, a department or a school, incredibly rewarding. There are so many opportunities to lead people, organise events or projects and to put ideas into action. Given the complexity and importance of learning, I can’t think of a profession where strategic analysis and interpersonal dynamics mix in such a fascinating way. Teaching should be the No1 graduate profession; this is where the action is.

8. Being your own boss; creating your own space

Of course we all have things we have to do that we’d rather not. But teaching affords a fantastic degree of autonomy. If you choose, teaching can have an strong element of performance about it…you’re on stage, live and in the room with 9M; you can express yourself in a way that you never do around adults. Or, you can be quietly cerebral, wildly eccentric or straightforward and dignified. The classroom is your domain…your space to make things happen the way you want them to. Every lesson is yours to craft, the way you want it…testing out ideas, exploring off at tangents or just keeping it simple. I love that.

9. Learning, always learning

A teaching career is a never-ending learning journey. You learn more and more about your subject, you learn new skills continually as you engage in new ideas about pedagogy; you develop a broad perspective on social issues and the range of personal challenges people face…the learning goes on and on. You learn a lot about yourself and how your ethical and political dispositions fit with real-life challenges. You learn how to deal with people in every conceivable emotional state; you learn how to communicate a message and how to turn ideas into action. Teaching IS learning.

10. The Holidays

I’m not being facetious. Teaching is incredibly rewarding but also incredibly demanding. But then the holidays come and we deserve them. Generally, teaching is a great job to be in to have a family, to have time for yourself and to have blocks of time to go travelling and to do other interesting things. I never take the bait when my non-teaching friends have a dig because they’re working during half-term or just get a few days at Christmas.  Not everyone wants to teach; not everybody could. But those who do, deserve every minute of the holidays.

Teachers of the World…let’s talk up the profession. There is no better one. Have a great Christmas/Easter/Summer !

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40 comments.

Reblogged this on The Echo Chamber .

Yes! So eloquently put too. I shall forward this to a couple of Uni students currently studying to become teachers. They’ve chosen well. I’m also tempted to leave it flapping around the school car park for those parents who keep trying to do our job for us because they know better.

The oxygen of positivity. Well said Tom. Really well said.

¡Feliz Navidad y próspero año nuevo!

And on that note the holidays begin…!

You write the posts I would like to write, Tom. Will come back to this whenever I need a lift – and I hope it’s shared and read widely.

I know there are challenges, and frustrations, and teachers and school leaders can feel pressured and stressed. But everything you say above is also true, and we need to remind ourselves of it from time to time.

Thanks – and this is a well-timed blog!

Thanks Jill! Yes, it always pays to count our blessings.

Reblogged this on Primary Blogging .

You are so right. We make an impact and have a responsibility toward others. I cant just think of a bunch of jobs where you can make a difference to so many people.

Reblogged this on speciallyteaching .

I was going to write this post (pretty much) myself this evening, but you’ve saved me the job! Great post, thanks for sharing.

Pleasure…we all have these thoughts about our job. Was easy to write.

It’s refreshing to read. There’s been a lot of negativity, and let’s face it, whinging and moaning, happening in the Edublog sphere recently. I’ve had to stop reading the guardian’s “secret teacher” series as I kept shouting “well leave then if you hate it” at the words. It’s great to see its not just me that still loves the job!

Thanks again. I agree about Secret Teacher. Just far too negative. We must not become victims.. especially when the job is so great most of the time.

Indeed. I wish they’d stop. There’s cynics in every staffroom and stuff like that just fuels them. On top of that, it probably puts people off, which denies them the chance to do this amazing job and potentially denies our pupils a brilliant teacher.

Have just sent this to all my staff as the last thing before putting my iPad away for a few days over Christmas. Thanks. Head teachers do have – despite the stresses – the best job in the world.

Reblogged this on scaling the chalkface and commented: Just in case we forget. It really is the best job in the world.

[…] http://headguruteacher.com/2013/12/20/10-reasons-to-love-teaching/ […]

[…] we bash to-and-fro at each other! I was delighted to read @headguruteacher‘s post recently, 10 Reasons to Love Teaching. This is what we need more […]

[…] Sherrington is an inspirational force in education. His latest post, Ten reasons to love teaching, is a welcome injection of […]

[…] wrote an incredible post entitled 10 Reasons to love teaching, which can be found here – it is refreshing to hear such positivity and when I heard Hywel Roberts speak at […]

[…] support and a fun way of meeting like minded souls. My favourite blogpost has got to be 10 Reasons to Love Teaching. It should be mandatory for all teachers to read this before they start school in January.   […]

[…] us many a reason to be of good cheer. I love this job (and was delighted to read, and agree with, this post) , I love the opportunities it presents, I love the people I get to work with, I love the fact that […]

[…] 10 reasons to love teaching (Tom Sherrington)  […]

[…] Edssential article from @headguruteacher : […]

Reblogged this on paddington teaching and learning and commented: A great blog from the end of last term from Tom Sherrington, but perhaps even more pertinent as this term gets into full swing! Not T&L focus here, just a timely reminder that this profession is awesome. Enjoy.

[…] 6. 10 Reasons to Love Teaching […]

[…] 10 reasons to love teaching. […]

Reblogged this on msbradshawatgartree .

Reblogged this on Gartree learning culture. CPD blog .

[…] Feeling tired and run down? Remind yourself why you came into the job in the first place. Below is an excert from an excellent BLOG http://headguruteacher.com/2013/12/20/10-reasons-to-love-teaching/ […]

[…] – next year I’m taking on a GCSE Maths class. I can’t wait.  There are lots of reasons to love teaching but one that has sustained me is that constant challenge to teacher better.  My entire experience […]

[…] 10 Reasons to Love Teaching.  This speaks for itself. […]

[…] have an strong element of performance about it…you’re on stage, live and in the room…” – Tom Sherrington, […]

[…] 10 Reasons to Love Teaching […]

Reblogged this on Continuing Professional Development Blog .

[…] this post 10 Reasons to Love Teaching,  I set out why I love teaching…  take a look.  Every time  I re-read it I think, Yes! […]

[…] Izvor:  teacherhead.com […]

I am on my mobile ….. guarding the santa drop off…. he has dropped but prying eyes need to be quietly misguided!!! Great post Tom. I left teaching some 10 years ago now. YES I miss many things but fundamentally what I do is teaching. Learning everyday, making mistakes but hopefully making a difference. Alk teaching colleagues (if I can use that word) please understand who you are as this is more important than any system. I love the freedom I have to make decisions on my own terms, we work with global companies and it very ‘client first’. No difference IMHO. We are as only good as our team and that is why I make the tea, Merry Christmas all xx

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Why I Chose Education

Everyone has a different reason. What's yours?

Simple Question, Powerful Answers:

We asked educators why they chose to enter the field of education and they shared their inspiring stories. From current students to those who have worked in education for decades, take a look at why our alumni chose to make a difference in the lives of learners.

“What you do as a teacher, as an educator, is you get to make an impact on the lives of others that can last their entire lifetime.”

– Bennett Jones ’14MSA, ’19EDD, director of the N.C. Teaching Fellows program

Ashlyn Scruggs ’15

“A real reason why I teach is to serve other people and give back to them,” says the Wake County Public School System middle school social studies teacher.

Meet Ashlyn 

Richmond Hill ’01MED

“There’s this power in being able to mentor and develop others,” says the provost of Northern Virginia Community College’s (NOVA) Woodbridge campus.

Meet Richmond 

“My goal and purpose has always been to make a positive impact in the lives of children. We know that a quality education is a game changer for all children, but is a dire need for children in poverty.”

– Valerie Bridges ’02MSA, ’10EDD, retired superintendent of Edgecombe Public Schools and the 2022 N.C. Superintendent of the year

EDGAR HUFF ’13MAT

“I believe the classroom is where the difference is made,” says the Wake County Public School System high school social studies teacher.

Meet Edgar 

HELEN LUPTON SMITH ’96PHD

“I realized what a big impact I can make in education. I can make a service impact, I can make a research impact and I can make a direct impact as an advisor and as a teacher,” says the associate professor in counselor education at North Carolina Central University.

Meet Helen 

Why Extraordinary Educators Choose Us:

college for education majors in North Carolina

Producer of STEM Educators in N.C.

most effective beginning teachers in North Carolina as rated by employers

Sources: College Magazine and UNC Educator Quality Dashboard

“We’re all part of a broader community of individuals who want our world to be a better place tomorrow than it is today.”

– Carl Harris ’98EDD, NC State College of Education board chair

JESSICA TERRONES ’22

“I want my classroom to feel representative of my students and a space where they can be themselves,” says the Lee County Schools middle school mathematics teacher.

Meet Jessica 

VANCE KITE ’18MED, ’21PHD

“I really like working with in-service teachers because I remember being there,” says the director of the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership.

Meet Vance 

KARRIE DIXON ’97, ’03EDD

“Education is an avenue to social and economic mobility. It transforms lives,” says the chancellor of Elizabeth City State University.

Meet Karrie 

SERGIO MADERA-GARCIA

“Just knowing that I was helping other students in bridging those gaps, it felt really good,” says the master’s student in higher education administration.

Meet Sergio 

AUTUMN GUIN ’20PHD

“My thing has always been helping kids and helping adults help kids,” says the NC State Extension program design and evaluation extension associate.

Meet Autumn 

We offer over 50 undergraduate, graduate and certificate options across our three departments.

#WhyIChoseEducation: ‘If I Can at Least Reach One of These Kids, Then It’ll Have a Domino Effect,’ Says Oneisha Leonard-Henry ’23MAT  

#WhyIChoseEducation: ‘I Still Think That It Helps Us Build a Better Society When We Ask Rigorous Questions and Study Them Well,’ Says Stephen Day ’15PHD  

#WhyIChoseEducation: ‘Education Is a Career Trajectory That Allows You to Learn a Whole Lot in Order to Understand It Yourself, But Also to Share It With Other People,’ Says Jennifer Buelin ’12PHD  

Why did you choose education.

Share why you chose the field of education and show your NC State College of Education pride on social media. Just tag your photos #WhyIChoseEducation on your Twitter or Instagram accounts.

First full week of a new academic year for extraordinary educators: done ✅ #ExtraordinaryEducatorsPrepareHere

👏 It’s been one week since we welcomed these extraordinary educators at our New Graduate Student Orientation. #ExtraordinaryEducatorsPrepareHere See anyone you know? 👀

🎉 Happy FDOC, extraordinary educators! We’re glad to have you back. Here’s to a successful year! ✨ #ExtraordinaryEducatorsPrepareHere

Why I Want to Be a Teacher Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Help and inspiration for victims.

I have a Bachelors’s Degree in Psychology and will be soon completing my Masters Degree in Psychology. I love working with young people and help them discover things both socially and academically. I have once worked as a mental health counselor and hence able to deal with almost any kind of individual and help them cope with their problems. In high school, there are students who are young adults and some of them are not even sure about what they want in life, so I want to use my experience and passion to help these students realize their potential and work hard to achieve their dreams. It is only through school that I will be able to guide and counsel these youth on the importance of morality and why they should be well-behaved.

The other strong factor that makes me want to teach is my high school history teacher who made me love the teaching profession. There is nothing that I value as helping the country mold the young people develop into responsible citizens because it is these students that will take over the leadership of this country in the coming years. I always feel sad seeing many young people drop out of school because of not knowing the value of education. My friends and I therefore decided to launch a campaign of returning these children to school. We organized different interactive forums where all types of children would come and interact. So we could have time to talk to them about the importance of education and schooling. I find the school environment a very ideal place to handle the problem of students dropping out of school and truancy among our youth and as a teacher I find myself with the responsibility of doing exactly this. As a trained psychologist I am able to handle all the social issues among the students. The students at this level experience many sorts of bad treatment from their colleagues and I feel that I can help fight this out of school.

I have volunteered my time as domestic violence and rape crisis counselor and I always feel proud whenever I give hope to a victim of domestic violence or rape. These are the two groups of people I sympathize with most. They have gone through very dehumanizing experiences and are now very hopeless. Making them come back to the normal life and go on with schooling makes me a very happy person and I am sure that there are such students in high school.

I am very proud of having successfully gone through the schooling system and graduating with a bachelor’s degree. I was able to do this because of my teachers, they were always encouraging and gave me the impetus to always work hard and be what I want to be. By being a high school teacher, I will also be able to inspire students because I am also a beneficiary of the scheme.

I am now dreaming of very big things and it makes me feel very energized and gives me a reason to also help others be like me or even better than I am. In the classroom, I will be able to effectively guide the students in the best possible ways to help them learn and be better persons. I know that using my life as an example I will be able to inspire many students to rise to high levels of leadership both here and in all the other parts of the world.

Lastly, I would one day like to be the headteacher of a school so I can put in place good policies to help root out all cases of moral decadence which has taken root in some of our schools. To the poor students who cannot afford school fees, I will help them get scholarships as right now I am already sponsoring two girls through school.

• Repressed Memory and Developing Teaching Strategies
• Ethical Dilemma in Teacher Career
• The Arguments and Debates of the Home Schooling System
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• The Purpose of Schooling and the Role of School Leaders
• Impacts of High Stress Levels on Teachers
• Basic Methods of Instruction for Teachers
• View of Supervision in Education
• Preventing Burnout in Preschool Teachers
• No Child Left Out Act Problems Analysis
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, September 29). Why I Want to Be a Teacher. https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-i-want-to-be-a-teacher/

"Why I Want to Be a Teacher." IvyPanda , 29 Sept. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/why-i-want-to-be-a-teacher/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Why I Want to Be a Teacher'. 29 September.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Why I Want to Be a Teacher." September 29, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-i-want-to-be-a-teacher/.

1. IvyPanda . "Why I Want to Be a Teacher." September 29, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-i-want-to-be-a-teacher/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Why I Want to Be a Teacher." September 29, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/why-i-want-to-be-a-teacher/.

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Teacher interview questions answered: Why do you want to be a teacher?

Each of us has some values, ambitions, fears and worries . These things determine to a huge extend our career choice , though we should realize that the ambitions and fears are also determined by something–our upbringing, role models, things we experienced in our childhood. You can talk about all these things when the hiring committee inquires why you want to become a teacher , or when they ask you a similar question, for example “ What attracts you to teaching? “, or “ Why did you choose teaching as a profession? ” But what do they really want to hear from you?

First and foremost, they want to hear some enthusiasm in your voice . They want to feel that, regardless of the reasons why you opted for a teaching career, you are enthusiastic about your future, your teaching mission at their school. And they also want to hear a strong enough reason, something profound , since the strong motivation will help you get over difficult days in the classroom. And such days will undoubtedly come…

Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to the question. The list contains some standard choices, but also a couple of strange and unconventional answers . Try to pick one that resonates with your values, and clearly explain the reasons why you want to be a teacher, and teach for many years to come.

7 sample answers to “Why do you want to be a teacher?” interview question

• I chose teaching as a professions because I love the impact one can have on individual children , especially here at elementary level. Of course it’s a great responsibility , but at the same time I cannot imagine devoting my life to something else, especially since I love being around children –which is likely the second reason why I want to be a teacher. In my view, teaching is more a mission than a job really, especially in the uncertain times we live nowadays. I cannot wait to start working as a teacher.
• I want to become a teacher because I believe to have the right skills, abilities, and attitude to become a good teacher. And I enjoy teaching, talking to children, listening to them , trying to understand their emotional world, and be a good role model for them. At the end of the day, we should do a job in which we see some meaningful purpose . I know that I could earn twice as much working in some big corporation analyzing some data or sitting at a computer programming another mobile application, the billionth on the app store…. But I just don’t see a point in such type of work. Teaching is a completely different story.
• I just want to share my vast knowledge of history and geography with the students. I’ve been doing research in these field for years, publishing papers, going to conferences. At this stage of my professional career, however, I feel that I should hand the ball to the younger generation . It is time to share my knowledge with them, and perhaps have them better understand certain phenomenons of the modern day . History is the best teacher in this case, if you can look at it without prejudice. The proposition of helping them to see these things is highly motivating to me.
• To be honest with you, my ultimate goal is to become a school principal , or even to establish a small private elementary school. But I am still young and inexperienced , and need to learn a lot from seasoned professionals. And I cannot see a better place than your school, which has an excellent reputation and renowned leadership. That’s why I want to work as a teacher here.
• My goal to pay back a big favor attracts me to teaching as a profession . When I was young I struggled to find my place in life. I was a sort of an outsider, always attracted to strange ways, spending times with other outcasts. Had my episode with drugs, skipping school, and everything. But one teacher saved me from a path that would eventually lead me to a lie on the street. They showed huge confidence in my abilities , and they treated me as an equal. Certain things they said to me, and their trust, motivated me to change my ways completely. I became an excellent student, managed to quit drugs and  lousy lifestyle, and eventually graduated from the university. Nothing of it would have happened, however, had I not met that one teacher… Now it is my time to help other struggling youngsters find their way. Or at least try my best to do so.
• To be honest, I am very concerned about the situation in the world. The inequality of people, the widening gap between the rich and poor, the conflicts we have all around. And I do not believe that some Messiah from heaven will come and save us . We people are responsible, and education is the most powerful weapon we have in our hands–if used correctly. I want to help educate children, especially in rural areas. Help them develop the right values, the sense of self-worth, and of course an ability to think critically and question the religious and political leaders . In this way I can play my small role in helping to make the world a better place. Maybe it is just a drop in the ocean. But even the biggest ocean consists of nothing but water drops…
• Teaching is a calling I’ve been following from a young age . I am not sure if I can explain it clearly, why teaching, why not social work, or healthcare. But sometimes you just hear this voice in your head, this calling in your soul, and you know that something is the right thing to do , or the right goal to follow. That’s how I have always felt about teaching, that’s the reason why I chose my school, and ultimately the reason why I sit in this interview with you right now.

Conclusion, other tough questions for your teaching job interview

Teaching is a mission, a calling. Sometimes a pleasure, and sometimes a cross you carry on your shoulders . As long as you know why you do it, however, why you are a teacher and not a manager, engineer, or doctor, you will always get over the difficult period, or over some bad words you may hear in the classroom, or even from fellow staff members.

Ensure the hiring committee that you have your reasons, that they are deeply rooted in your heart, and you won’t quit the profession after first few months. And remember that stories are the best interview answers . Narrating a story of a teacher helping you in your young age, doing something that eventually changed the course of your life, is a great idea. If you have such story, share it with your interviewers.

And if you want to simplify your interview preparation , check out my new eBook the Teacher Interview Guide , for brilliant answers to all 40 teacher interview questions (+ more). Thank you!

Other interview questions that may interest you :

• What are your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher?
• Teacher interview – Tell me about yourself .
• Where do you see yourself in five years as a teacher?
• Teacher interview – Tell us more about your teaching experience.
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9 Reasons Why I Love Teaching: Confessions of An English Language Teacher

By Caitriona Maria

April 19, 2024

Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning that when you make a purchase, I earn a small commission. Affiliate links cost you nothing to use and help keep my content free. For more info, see the Disclosure Policy.

Teaching English is a fantastic opportunity, even if you aren’t a traditional teacher. In fact, teaching a language is a popular side hustle and doesn’t require any major qualifications to do so.

Whether you want to work part-time or full-time and stay at home, you can find a schedule that fits your needs.

I Love Teaching Because…

I love teaching because I get to impart knowledge while learning something about myself. Teachers create lifelong, memorable relationships that a student will take with them while they derive direct benefit from our teaching… We make a difference!

Teaching English has been a blessing for me. It replaced a traditional 9-5 job and allowed me to work on other entrepreneurial projects to enhance my income further.

It has enabled me to create strong bonds with my students and provide valuable knowledge that will help them speak English fluently, which will have direct benefits in their lives. Some of my students learn English to get a job promotion, work abroad, or do well in their exams. I am delighted that I can help them achieve their goals.

For English Language Teachers or Those Looking to Get Started…

Teacher tips, new teacher checklist, teacher planner, and notes. Subscribe for ESL News, jobs, and more!

Why I Enjoy Teaching English

So, if you are thinking of working online or abroad, here are some reasons why you should consider getting started teaching English:

1. Helping Others

Even if you become a millionaire in the morning, you will soon realize that no amount of money changes your life to the point you feel utter contentment and peace. A lot of money causes other problems, so forget it if you think you will be happy when you make X amount of money.

Did you know that people feel truly fulfilled when they give to others? Teaching is known to be one of the happiest professions on earth. Despite teachers’ complaints and their hardships, studies reveal it still stands as one of the most satisfying careers.

Why? Because you are helping and benefiting others. And there is nothing to regret if you live a life helping others. 

2. Lifelong Learning

As a teacher, you are constantly learning and growing your knowledge; it never ends. Not only do you learn about the course you are teaching, but you also learn about yourself and your skills. You learn from the students, and the students learn from you. It’s a two-way street.

Teachers are lifelong learners who must keep up with changing trends and continue their training to teach effectively.

3. Showcase Creativity

When you are tasked with developing engaging lessons for your classroom, you will learn more about your inner creativity and strengths. You may also find your own fun games and follow-up activities to enhance learning.

The ultimate satisfaction comes from discovering an approach that resonates with your students and consistently succeeds. By incorporating a memorable quote or story, what was once a mundane lesson can transform into an engaging and captivating experience.

Many tutors travel to different countries for the experience of a lifetime. You are no longer fixed to one location, and you can visit Turkey, Thailand, or Timbuktu if that suits you.

Did you always dream of soaking in the sun in Bali or eating delicious hot pots in China? Well, now you can while learning even more about other delightful cultures and having stories to tell.

The major benefit of teaching English is the travel aspect, and many others around the world do the same. It’s even okay to travel solo like I’ve done.

Why I Love Teaching English Online

While I love teaching English abroad or in person, there is also the option to teach online, which has its own benefits.

1. More Potential Income

If you have a few extra hours each month, why not consider teaching English online? Not only is it a fulfilling experience, but you can put some money aside for discretionary expenditure or savings for a rainy day.

If you work for just a minimum of 4 hours extra per week, with the average pay being $20 per hour, that’s $80 extra per week or $320 extra per month.

You could even try Cambly, which is the equivalent of ‘chatting’ to strangers in English for $10-$12 per hour.

2. No Commuting

An amazing thing about working from home is that there is no long commute. Travel expenses add up to a substantial sum of money each year.

You can sleep in and save a lot of time that you’d usually spend twiddling your thumbs in traffic. Park your spot in the online classroom instead!

3. Access a Larger Market

One of the primary benefits of teaching online is access to a much larger pool of potential clients around the world. With the advent of social media, branding and pitching yourself as the expert is possible, and you could potentially find your own students without signing up for a company at all.

Be more in control of your rates by finding students online!

5. Flexibility

Teaching ESL online comes with unbeatable flexibility, which means that you can teach when you like. However, some companies require you to set a fixed schedule that is sometimes difficult to change or request leave.

There is no one ‘best’ company; just try out a few and see what works for you. I worked for multiple companies to fill up my schedule with the hours that fitted me.

You can teach when your own kids are at school, in the morning, or in the evening. Platforms like Preply operate 24 hours per day and can provide a steady stream of students, even in the morning.

These Are The Reasons I Love Teaching Online

If you want to work online or travel abroad but need some extra cash, I highly recommend trying this. If you want to stay at home with your children but still be able to afford to take them out and buy them that new bike, try teaching English online. It will change your life!

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Join my exclusive community to get the latest jobs, news, and opportunities delivered directly to your inbox. Grab my teacher planner, teacher checklist, and tips now. Sign up here.

Get Certified

Start your teaching journey and get certified now. Watch my YouTube video about how I got started, or read about my experience here: The TEFL Academy review.

Start Your First Teaching Job

New to the world of online teaching or just want to fill some hours in? Curious if this is a career you want to pursue? Check out Cambly to get started. Read the Cambly review.

Highest-Paying Online Teaching Jobs

In my post, I cover a list of some of the highest-paying online teaching jobs . Alternatively, use the curriculum online and find your own students. It’s easier than you think!

Accept Payments Online and Save Money

Use Wise to accept payments from overseas. It has the lowest exchange rates, which is what I am currently using. Get Wise.

Caitriona Maria is an education writer and founder of TPR Teaching, crafting inspiring pieces that promote the importance of developing new skills. For 7 years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.

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