A note on Teaching
Teaching is one of the most unique career paths anyone can choose. Every student that comes in my classroom is their own unique person, and they have their own way of learning. They also have their own struggles and challenges to overcome, one of the most common being a lack of pride in their school work. In my classroom I hope to create an environment where students feel comfortable and confident in their work. I want to be the teacher that can kids discover things about themselves that shape who they are, like what learning style helps them and what they find important in life. If students feel more confident about their abilities to learn they will produce higher academic material.
Why I teach
When I reflect on my academic years I realize how privileged I am to see so many faces who helped me along the way. Besides my amazing family, my biggest supports have always been my teachers. These teachers challenged me, understood me, and changed me forever. When I transferred schools I struggled to keep up with the higher academic expectations, my English teacher would come to school at ungodly hours to improve my writing skills, my science teacher taught me note taking skills and how to study for tests in ways that were best for my comprehensions. Even my Class Dean tutored me in math when the teachers help wasn't enough. One of the biggest tragedies in the education system is the kids who get passed along, who slip through the cracks and gets pushed grade to grade without any improvement. I was that student for a lot years until these teachers found me and really took the time to shape me. I want to be that same force for our future generations. The way to a better tomorrow is through each new generation, I want to be able to help them the way they helped me.
Why I teach English
I fell in love with English class in high school. Although I struggled to achieve high grades I enjoyed reading and writing but what I really connected with was how everyone could interpret the passage differently. Ms. Ochoa my sophomore English teacher never told us our feelings about a passage were wrong instead she would have us explain and point out the parts of the reading that led us to feel the way we did. I do this with my own students. This helps to either shift their perspective or mine, but the reasoning is always routed in proof found in the text. The other main reason I drifted toward English was I believe writing is the backbone of everything. In every aspect of life being able to express your thoughts and feelings is crucial. No matter what path you end up on life will require you to read and write, so why not learn to find some joy in it?