Stephanie Wuojek Essay
Stephanie Wujek is a teacher at a small-town school called Wiggins Middle School where she is the science teacher and track coach. She grew up with the dream of teaching in a small town and her dream came true when she started teaching in Wiggins. Denver Post states that Stephanie is lucky because she "has a supportive principal and has mentors who help her create lesson plans and share tips to gain traction in her classroom" (Whaley). Stephanie is an example of a teacher that loves children, is academically strong and wanted to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher in. The educational field needs more young adults like Stephanie to bring the passion of teaching to the profession. Everyone that works well with children and is academically solid should pursue a career into the k-12 educational field because teachers help improve the quality of education, teacher’s
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givebacks to the community, teachers change lives of the students, and they want to share their love of learning.
The different career paths in which people pursue are usually a direct result of their education. People who pursue a career in teaching do so because teachers have the ability to improve the quality of education. Upon entering the education field there are many goals teachers set for themselves, but their first goal is to improve the quality of education. Global Partnership for Education looked into the true definition of a "good teacher" and they found that there are many different qualities that make a good teacher. Global Partnership for Education
said, "Teachers are a key element to educational quality because they orchestrate instructional interactions with and between students around academic content, and these classroom interactions--in an ideal world-- influences student learning." Global Partnership for Education shares the belief that teachers control the quality of education and it is through dedicated teachers that education can improve so that every student can learn and grow. Amy Hightower, the writer of the article, "Improve Student Learning by Supporting Quality Teaching: Key Issues Effective Strategies" also discussed the positive impact teachers have on the quality of education. Hightower says, "...teaching quality in practice constitutes a set of actions and activities that improve student outcome.", which supports what Global Partnership for Education discusses about teachers improving the quality of education. Both articles had the same concept that teachers have a direct impact on improving education.
In addition to improving education, teachers are also attracted to the education field because they feel a strong need to give back to the community.
Stephanie Wujek decided to teach in the small community of Wiggins, Colorado because she attended a small school and wanted to be able to give back to a community that was similar to hers. She likes teaching in a small town because she gets to see her students grow and can easily connect with the parents and other community members. The article "Giving Back to the Community" by Rick Docksai talks about how teachers feel about giving back to the community. Rick selected a teacher, in particular, that is starting the teach some of her science and social lessons at the nearby park. Karen Garcia is a fifth-grade teacher at an elementary school in California. She talks about how when they started going to the park the community started to notice that this is changing how the students view the park. Garcia said, "Essentially, becoming a teacher lets you take part in shaping the next generation.” She believes that she has changed students’ lives by teaching
them
and taking them on field trips. Garcia also believes that her becoming a teacher and shaping children into young adults as they grow up is a great way to give back to the community as a teacher.
There are many professions where people change the lives of others and teaching is no different. Teachers also go into the field of education because they know they can change the lives of their students. Many teachers want to say that they have changed the lives of all of their students. Edutopia, resource site for educators that is funded by the George Lucas Education Foundation has spent time interviewing students on this topic. They asked students how teachers have changed their lives and this is what students said, "They push you to believe that even if something is hard, you can still achieve. They constantly encourage me. They explain my future and the importance of education. They are my mom, my dad, my mentor and they believe." Each student said at least once that teachers believe in them. Edutopia made a video share the difference teachers make in students’ lives in hope that people will start to realize the important role teachers play in the lives of their students. "4 Ways Teachers Change Their Students' Lives" by Kara Masterson focused on four key components on how a teacher changes the lives of students. The four ways are a teacher is an educator, a positive influence, a motivator, and an inspiration. Masterson and Edutopia found that teachers do change lives of students because teachers care about their students and want to motivate them to continue their education. Teachers do so much for their students because they want to share their passion for learning with their students.
Changing the lives of others is a powerful driving force in any profession. Through a career in education, professionals not only are able to change the lives of students, but they pursue the career because teaching provides the opportunity to share the love of learning. Jennie
Rose wrote the article "How Teachers Can Sell the Love of Learning to Students" to inspire teachers to not only share their love of learning, but to instill the love of learning into their students. Rose interviewed teachers about how they approach students about the love of learning and this is the response she received, "Jobs in education are all moving other people, changing their behavior, like getting kids to pay attention in class; getting teens to understand they need to look at their future and to therefore study harder." This quote shares the need for students to understand that education is important when they look at the end result. Students need to understand that once they find a love for learning then the school will just become a vehicle to their future. Teachers share that love of learning because they understand being a lifelong learner is necessary to succeed beyond k-12 education. Students need to be self-motivated in their learning to succeed in higher education and/or the work place. The teaching profession is a place where every day someone is sharing the love to learn.
People argue that education is the in the hands of the government and that local level control will not change or improve education. However, Amy Hightower clearly refutes this stance in her article "Improve Student Learning by Supporting Quality Teaching: Key Issues Effective Strategies." Hightower states the quality of education is in the power of the teachers, "...teaching quality in practice constitutes a set of actions and activities that improve student outcomes." She clearly believes that teachers are the ones that have the control over the quality of education. It is through quality teaching at the classroom level where the quality of education is improved. Quality teachers are an essential piece of the success of education. Teachers are the foundation in which a high quality educational system can be built.
Often teaching is seen as a private, isolated profession. A teacher is in a classroom with 30 students and within the four walls of the classroom learning is expected to happen. However,
the teaching profession is much more than what happens in the classroom. Teaching is a profession that impacts a community in many ways. The impact on the community ranges from the community service projects as mentioned in the Rick Docksai article that was shared on the National Education Association website to the increase in house value as shared by Grace Chen on the Public-School Review website. Docksai shared a story of a teacher that together with the community and her students rebuilt a local playground that was in need of repair. Through valuable learning experiences; her students learned how to raise funds, work with community agencies, and put their math skills to the test to rebuild a playground. On the other end of the spectrum, Grace Chen discusses how home values are a direct reflection of the performance of the local schools. High performing schools create higher property values which leads to a healthy economy in the surrounding community. Teachers have direct and an indirect impact on their community.
In a typical 24-hour day students spend only seven hours of that day in school. During that time, they travel to physical education class, art class, music class, eat lunch, and play at recess. When the seven hours are broken down to how much time a student spends with one teacher it is approximately 50 minutes at the secondary level and 90 to 120 minutes at the elementary level. The question then arises how one teacher can truly make a difference in a child's life, especially considering this is only 180 days out of a 356-day year. Many students stated that their teacher prevented them from dropping out because they believe in them. Another student said, "They are my mom, my dad, my mentor and they believe," and this student states how their teacher has become their home away from home. (Edutopia) Teachers are able to impact the students that need to be heard. Not every student comes from a perfect home where parents support their education. When that child come to school five days out of the week for
180 days and a teacher is there to provide consistent care, hope, and encouragement it makes a difference in a student’s life. Teachers want to see their students grow and achieve. Teachers are able to change students’ lives because they care.
The first thought that comes to mind when thinking of the teaching profession is summers off, two weeks’ vacation during the winter and week off during the spring. One would think this is why teachers go into. Although many might think this is the reason, the reason teachers really go into teaching is because they are lifelong learners and want to share their love of learning with others. As Jennie Rose points out in her article, “How Teachers Can Sell the Love of Learning to Students”, the task of sharing their love and instilling a love of learning in their students is not a simple task. Students must see the value in their learning. They need to see how learning relates to them and to their lives. It is through authentic learning experiences that teachers can help their students become lifelong learners. Teachers understand the need for students to continue their learning beyond their classroom and beyond their formal education. The workforce students enter today dependent on students that have the skills to continue learning and adapt to different situations. Teaching is much more than waiting for the next vacation. It is a profession that is taken serious in preparing students to be successful members of society without the guidance of their teacher.
As with any profession, there are many reasons why people pursue different passions. Teaching is a profession that requires a special type of person. It requires someone the enjoys working with children, someone who finds joy in seeing others succeed and most of all someone who truly wants to see others learn. The teaching profession is about improving the quality of education, giving back to the community, changing lives and creating a culture of learners.
givebacks to the community, teachers change lives of the students, and they want to share their love of learning.
The different career paths in which people pursue are usually a direct result of their education. People who pursue a career in teaching do so because teachers have the ability to improve the quality of education. Upon entering the education field there are many goals teachers set for themselves, but their first goal is to improve the quality of education. Global Partnership for Education looked into the true definition of a "good teacher" and they found that there are many different qualities that make a good teacher. Global Partnership for Education
said, "Teachers are a key element to educational quality because they orchestrate instructional interactions with and between students around academic content, and these classroom interactions--in an ideal world-- influences student learning." Global Partnership for Education shares the belief that teachers control the quality of education and it is through dedicated teachers that education can improve so that every student can learn and grow. Amy Hightower, the writer of the article, "Improve Student Learning by Supporting Quality Teaching: Key Issues Effective Strategies" also discussed the positive impact teachers have on the quality of education. Hightower says, "...teaching quality in practice constitutes a set of actions and activities that improve student outcome.", which supports what Global Partnership for Education discusses about teachers improving the quality of education. Both articles had the same concept that teachers have a direct impact on improving education.
In addition to improving education, teachers are also attracted to the education field because they feel a strong need to give back to the community.
Stephanie Wujek decided to teach in the small community of Wiggins, Colorado because she attended a small school and wanted to be able to give back to a community that was similar to hers. She likes teaching in a small town because she gets to see her students grow and can easily connect with the parents and other community members. The article "Giving Back to the Community" by Rick Docksai talks about how teachers feel about giving back to the community. Rick selected a teacher, in particular, that is starting the teach some of her science and social lessons at the nearby park. Karen Garcia is a fifth-grade teacher at an elementary school in California. She talks about how when they started going to the park the community started to notice that this is changing how the students view the park. Garcia said, "Essentially, becoming a teacher lets you take part in shaping the next generation.” She believes that she has changed students’ lives by teaching
them
and taking them on field trips. Garcia also believes that her becoming a teacher and shaping children into young adults as they grow up is a great way to give back to the community as a teacher.
There are many professions where people change the lives of others and teaching is no different. Teachers also go into the field of education because they know they can change the lives of their students. Many teachers want to say that they have changed the lives of all of their students. Edutopia, resource site for educators that is funded by the George Lucas Education Foundation has spent time interviewing students on this topic. They asked students how teachers have changed their lives and this is what students said, "They push you to believe that even if something is hard, you can still achieve. They constantly encourage me. They explain my future and the importance of education. They are my mom, my dad, my mentor and they believe." Each student said at least once that teachers believe in them. Edutopia made a video share the difference teachers make in students’ lives in hope that people will start to realize the important role teachers play in the lives of their students. "4 Ways Teachers Change Their Students' Lives" by Kara Masterson focused on four key components on how a teacher changes the lives of students. The four ways are a teacher is an educator, a positive influence, a motivator, and an inspiration. Masterson and Edutopia found that teachers do change lives of students because teachers care about their students and want to motivate them to continue their education. Teachers do so much for their students because they want to share their passion for learning with their students.
Changing the lives of others is a powerful driving force in any profession. Through a career in education, professionals not only are able to change the lives of students, but they pursue the career because teaching provides the opportunity to share the love of learning. Jennie
Rose wrote the article "How Teachers Can Sell the Love of Learning to Students" to inspire teachers to not only share their love of learning, but to instill the love of learning into their students. Rose interviewed teachers about how they approach students about the love of learning and this is the response she received, "Jobs in education are all moving other people, changing their behavior, like getting kids to pay attention in class; getting teens to understand they need to look at their future and to therefore study harder." This quote shares the need for students to understand that education is important when they look at the end result. Students need to understand that once they find a love for learning then the school will just become a vehicle to their future. Teachers share that love of learning because they understand being a lifelong learner is necessary to succeed beyond k-12 education. Students need to be self-motivated in their learning to succeed in higher education and/or the work place. The teaching profession is a place where every day someone is sharing the love to learn.
People argue that education is the in the hands of the government and that local level control will not change or improve education. However, Amy Hightower clearly refutes this stance in her article "Improve Student Learning by Supporting Quality Teaching: Key Issues Effective Strategies." Hightower states the quality of education is in the power of the teachers, "...teaching quality in practice constitutes a set of actions and activities that improve student outcomes." She clearly believes that teachers are the ones that have the control over the quality of education. It is through quality teaching at the classroom level where the quality of education is improved. Quality teachers are an essential piece of the success of education. Teachers are the foundation in which a high quality educational system can be built.
Often teaching is seen as a private, isolated profession. A teacher is in a classroom with 30 students and within the four walls of the classroom learning is expected to happen. However,
the teaching profession is much more than what happens in the classroom. Teaching is a profession that impacts a community in many ways. The impact on the community ranges from the community service projects as mentioned in the Rick Docksai article that was shared on the National Education Association website to the increase in house value as shared by Grace Chen on the Public-School Review website. Docksai shared a story of a teacher that together with the community and her students rebuilt a local playground that was in need of repair. Through valuable learning experiences; her students learned how to raise funds, work with community agencies, and put their math skills to the test to rebuild a playground. On the other end of the spectrum, Grace Chen discusses how home values are a direct reflection of the performance of the local schools. High performing schools create higher property values which leads to a healthy economy in the surrounding community. Teachers have direct and an indirect impact on their community.
In a typical 24-hour day students spend only seven hours of that day in school. During that time, they travel to physical education class, art class, music class, eat lunch, and play at recess. When the seven hours are broken down to how much time a student spends with one teacher it is approximately 50 minutes at the secondary level and 90 to 120 minutes at the elementary level. The question then arises how one teacher can truly make a difference in a child's life, especially considering this is only 180 days out of a 356-day year. Many students stated that their teacher prevented them from dropping out because they believe in them. Another student said, "They are my mom, my dad, my mentor and they believe," and this student states how their teacher has become their home away from home. (Edutopia) Teachers are able to impact the students that need to be heard. Not every student comes from a perfect home where parents support their education. When that child come to school five days out of the week for
180 days and a teacher is there to provide consistent care, hope, and encouragement it makes a difference in a student’s life. Teachers want to see their students grow and achieve. Teachers are able to change students’ lives because they care.
The first thought that comes to mind when thinking of the teaching profession is summers off, two weeks’ vacation during the winter and week off during the spring. One would think this is why teachers go into. Although many might think this is the reason, the reason teachers really go into teaching is because they are lifelong learners and want to share their love of learning with others. As Jennie Rose points out in her article, “How Teachers Can Sell the Love of Learning to Students”, the task of sharing their love and instilling a love of learning in their students is not a simple task. Students must see the value in their learning. They need to see how learning relates to them and to their lives. It is through authentic learning experiences that teachers can help their students become lifelong learners. Teachers understand the need for students to continue their learning beyond their classroom and beyond their formal education. The workforce students enter today dependent on students that have the skills to continue learning and adapt to different situations. Teaching is much more than waiting for the next vacation. It is a profession that is taken serious in preparing students to be successful members of society without the guidance of their teacher.
As with any profession, there are many reasons why people pursue different passions. Teaching is a profession that requires a special type of person. It requires someone the enjoys working with children, someone who finds joy in seeing others succeed and most of all someone who truly wants to see others learn. The teaching profession is about improving the quality of education, giving back to the community, changing lives and creating a culture of learners.