Reflection on What it Means to be a Teacher

Video

What do you enjoy most about teaching?
What made you choose the grade you teach?
What is the biggest challenge you face?
What has surprised you?
What advice would you give future teachers?

This video shares the perspectives of several different teachers that were asked the questions above.  They provide insight into what it means to be a teacher and all of the best and worst parts of teaching. In the end, the overall message is that teaching is not for everyone, but the people who it is for love it, despite all of the difficulties they face. As far as sharing their views or not, because I have not actually been in front of a classroom yet, I can't exactly say. However, from what I know so far about being a teacher I do share a lot of their beliefs and values. That moment when a student recognizes that they understand something new is the reason I wanted to get into teaching, which a couple of these teachers mentioned in the video. Throughout high school and college tutoring friends and other students, I saw that moment a lot and fell in love with the idea that I could keep getting students to feel that way. I have always known that I wanted to teach high schoolers because of the same reason the high school teacher stated in the video. High schoolers have a higher level of understanding so you can push them a little harder, and it is easier to joke around with them and get the students engaged in the lessons. As far as the biggest challenge goes, due to lack of experience, I would not be able to say, but from what I have taken from listening to other teachers not having enough time is the hardest part of being a high school teacher. The same thing goes for what has surprised me, lack of experience means I don't have much to say about surprises, but from observing what has surprised me most is all of the different approaches teachers take to present the same subject. My advice would be the same as one of the teachers in the video, however. If you find that this job is not fun for you, and is just causing stress it is important, not just for you but also for the students, that you figure out why, and possibly think about pursuing a different career.