Why I Do What I Do (Potentially Boring, Exceedingly Random Blog Post About Why I Want to be a Teacher)

For those of you (nonexistant readers) that don't know, I am a college student at Brigham Young University-Idaho studying elementary education. The purpose of this lovely post (as the title so eloquently describes) is to describe why I do what I do. Teach. Okay, so logically, I don't teach yet but someday. : ) Shall we start at the beginning? Are you fearful of what I am about to write? Exiting out of this browser? The beginning was a long time ago. I am almost twenty years old. That's old. :) Going back to the beginning? That is a lot of history... So, lets not go back to the beginning... How about fourth grade? My fourth grade teacher was Mrs. Nielsen. She was pretty much the best teacher that I ever had. I always loved school as a child and I always did well in my class (yes, I was a straight A student... :) )but Mrs. Nielsen inspired me. She made me feel important and valuable. I truly felt that I was an important part of her class. At parent teacher conferences she told my parents that I was more of a second teacher in the class then a student. I loved helping her and being "the teachers pet" but the thought never occurred to me that I should someday be a teacher. Flash forward to just after my junior year in high school... Throughout high school and part of middle school I planned on studying medicine. I initially planned on being a nurse but then I decided I wanted to be a surgeon and then I changed my plans to being a pediatric doctor because I loved children. So, it had been years that I had my sights set on working in the medicine field. One day I thought about my goals and the thought hit me, "Grace, what are you doing? You don't want to work in the medical field. This isn't what you are supposed to be doing with your life." So, I abandoned all of my plans of being a doctor (much to the dismay of my health occupation teacher) and had no idea what I was going to do with my life. Oh yeah, at this point in my life I also planned at going to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Anyhows, every single day I would think of a new potential career but I wasn't serious about any of them. So, during the summer between my junior and senior of high school I worked for the school district as a slave (er, I mean janitor... As a lowly high school summer helper I was given the worst jobs...) I worked at two elementary schools in my school district. I did not enjoy my job but I made money for college so that made it okay, right? I cleaned all of the classrooms in the schools and realized that I truly loved the elementary school atmosphere. Despite the fact that there were no students or teachers and I was stuck scrubbing desks all day I knew that teaching was something that I cared about and something I needed in my life. I had never ever in my wildest dreams planned on being a teacher but being in the classroom did something for me. After much prayer and fasting I decided that I would be a teacher. So, I was signed up to take a whole bunch of random medical classes for my senior year but I didn't have the prerequisites necessary to take the classes that would best help me with elementary education so I guess I just took a bunch of fun classes. : ) One class I took though changed my life. I can honestly say that it was the best class that I took during high school... Special needs seminary. I learned so much about myself and the pure love of Jesus Christ in this class. It reaffirmed to me that I should be a teacher because of the love I had working with such amazing people and the desire that I had to help and inspire them. It was truly amazing. Oh yeah, back to BYU... I had my heart set on going to BYU not BYU-Idaho but again through a lot of prayer and fasting I knew that I was supposed to go to BYU-Idaho and I am so grateful that I did. This is silly, I entitled this post "Why I Do What I Do" but I so far haven't described why I do what I do but only how I decided I wanted to be a teacher. Maybe I will eventually get to why I do what I do... Maybe not though. :) So, I graduated from high school and started school the next fall at BYU-Idaho. (Ooooh, I just laid down on my floor to write cause I was tired of sitting and there is a heater by my feet. Mmmm, how wonderful...) So, I started school and I took a couple of elementary education classes my first semester and a couple my second. I am kind of getting far enough in the program that I am taking really fun interesting classes so my third semester I had maybe 4 or 5 elementary education classes and I loved them. I have decided the classes that I would like to take next semester and I am so super excited! It is wonderful! So, I am off track from school right now and living at home... In my parents basement. Joke! I sleep upstairs, not in the basement! So, yeah, I am off track and I have been helping in a fifth grade class at a local elementary school class and I just love it! If I had any doubts about whether or not I should be a teacher, this wonderful experience has swept all of those doubts away. I work with a few kids that are falling behind in math and help answer their questions and everything. I have learned a lot about teaching from them... And, the teacher as well. It is his first year teaching and he is doing an excellent job. I mean, he puts up with me coming in and stealing students away from him everyday. That alone is pretty impressive! Hahaha, kidding. Kind of... Anyhows, I love helping out in his class and I have learned a whole bunch. So, yeah, that is my inspirational teaching history so far. Now, why I do what I do... Why do I want to teach? What made me want to be a teacher? Yeah, I am tired, that's enough questions to answer, right? I mean, chances are you (nonexistent readers) haven't even made it this far. Man, if I were reading this I would have quit reading a long time ago. Just kidding again! (Wow, random story time... Last night at Institute a couple of guys came and sat at my table by me and some friends. I knew one from high school but I didn't know the other. So, I of course asked him his name and he said David. David asked me what my name was and I replied (with a straight face) Mufasa. Haha, it was kind of funny cause then my friend busted out laughing and I told him my name was really Grace... Yeah, that was random so if you get the urge to call me Mufasa, I understand. :) ) So, yeah, back to why do I want to teach? I have always dreamed of changing the world. I truly want to make a difference in as many lives as I can. This was partly why I wanted to study medicine, I wanted to improve the lives of people around me... (Oh, the heat just turned back on. *content sigh*) So, as I thought of potential careers this was one of the important things in my job criteria. When I thought about studying education I thought of all the people that I could inspire and the lives that I could change and this instantly drew me to teaching. I thought back to Mrs. Nielsen and the influence that she had in my life and how important she made me feel and the love that I felt from her and I wanted to help others feel this way. Random-ish story time... One of the girls I help at the elementary school told me the other day that she had just decided she wanted to be a teacher. This little girl is super duper shy but she has really opened up to me and she really likes me so I like to think that through my helping her feel loved and important she has decided that she wants to be a teacher. Was my influence on her life and future really this great? Probably not, but I like to think so. :) Anyhows, in short, I want to teach and inspire children to lead a great life where they know that they are important and have the potential to be anything that they want to be. Question number two... What made me want to become a teacher. Hehe, my answer to this question is pretty much the same as the last one, I want to make an influence in the world. I want to change the lives of those around me. I want to leave the world a better place through my life. I want to help the future generations lead good, productive lives. Yeah, I want to be a teacher to fulfill my dreams and in doing so, spark the dreams of others. I am so excited to graduate from college so I can be a real teacher but I suppose that I am still young (since I am still a teenager :) ) and I might as well love life where it stands right now! So, that's pretty much why I do what I do... To change the world, inspire mankind, and pave the way for a better future. (Very deep statement. :) )

The End!