why I want to be a teacher

Why I Want to be a Teacher
I believe that everyone, one way or another, has progressed to where they are in life because they had a teacher. A teacher by definition is someone who provides educational instruction and communicates lifelong lessons. However, I see teachers beyond that common definition. Teachers have the opportunity to shed light on topics not commonly found in text books, to teach skills that students can use in real life, and to inspire students to overcome their adversities. But why become a teacher when you can become a doctor? Or a lawyer? I asked myself these same questions prior to joining the education program at the University of Guam. I found great intrinsic value of teaching by being able to inspire students to help others and to provide equal opportunities for those children who are considered “at risk”. I also found great extrinsic value in teaching because it provides a great work schedule and I am able to travel the world because education is rooted in every country.
I did not want to become a teacher my first semester of college at The University of Guam. I had my mind set on becoming a therapist because I felt that the main reasons why people kill other people or why kids end up in juvenile prison is due to the fact that they have an underlying stressor that causes them to act up. I wanted to help rid the world of angry and depressed people and help them begin their healing process so that they can become contributing members to the society. However, after two semesters I realized that all these problems could be solved if people were well educated and knowledgeable of the opportunities around them. I saw that schools were the perfect institution to influence children on becoming positive and active members of society. I want to be able to inspire students to engage in solidarity so that they can help those around them. I want to teach my students that they are more alike than different and to be able to recognize the problems that stem from our society’s culture. There are also those students who are plagued by racial or financial setbacks regardless of how hard they try to succeed. I want to be able to reach out to those students and help them continue their education. I have seen so many classmates of mine who were overlooked because they were not the smartest in the class and those students ended up dropping out or getting into drugs. I want to be able to put more emphasis on the students who are falling behind so that students feel more comfortable with being at school and prevent students from dropping out.
Being a teacher requires that you give up a lot of your time and patience in hopes that your students succeed in life. Seeing your students become doctors, lawyers, or maybe even the president of the United States can be very rewarding even though teachers rarely gain recognition for their students’ accomplishments. However, teachers are rewarded not just intrinsically but extrinsically. One extrinsic reason for why I want to become a teacher is because I get a great work schedule. Teachers get the weekends off, not to mention the summer and winter breaks as well. Being a student I was accustomed to having a summer break to recuperate and to prepare for the next semester and becoming a teacher I was able to keep the same lifestyle and still able to go back to my job when the school year started. Becoming a teacher was very appealing to me because I had a desire to join the Peace Corps upon graduating college and there are opportunities for teachers to travel around the world and teach in different countries, especially the third world countries. I loved to travel and help others and becoming a teacher gave me the means necessary to do both.
In conclusion, I know becoming a teacher will be difficult but the rewards are more abundant than the costs. I hope to inspire students to reach out to others and to be able to recognize the problems that stem from our society’s culture. I would also love to see those students who are “at risk” succeeding to their fullest potential. I would love give back those privileges to those who are not as fortunate and travel the world spreading the love of learning in all parts of the world.