Kallie Hawkins

Why I Want to Teach

“Why would you want to be around obnoxious kids all day? You know you won’t make a

lot of money, right? There are way better options out there than being a school teacher.” From

the moment I decided that my dream job was to be an elementary school teacher, these are the

remarks that I have gotten from friends, family, and even complete strangers. People from the

outside looking in see teaching as something that is not worth it due to financial reasons or other

downfalls that may come with it, but for a person who has a passion for this profession those

downfalls could never outweigh the benefits of this job. There have been many influencers in my

life that have led me to know that teaching, what is to become the future of the world, is my

calling. There are certain events, people, and qualities about the profession that have influenced

me to dedicate my life to helping young children gain an education. This is my journey as I

understood why I want to teach.

Many of the choices we make in this life are due to the events that we go through every

day. I did not realize all of the events happening in my life were leading me to want to be a

teacher but looking back on a few moments throughout my education there have been many

instances where it led me to the path of teaching. A few moments that come to mind were when

my classmates needed help understanding objectives in class. I remember my sophomore year of

high school in geometry class a lot of my peers struggled, and for some reason it almost came

natural to me. When someone needed help, I was always glad to be there for them. I would feel

overjoyed when someone understood what I was saying and could successfully do the rest of the

problems with ease! I also remember when some of my teachers would want a few students to

come to the board to explain problems or talk about certain subjects we were discussing in class
to explain what we were learning, and I would always want to go up to the board and explain the

problems. Of course, I didn’t decide I wanted to teach until the end of high school but looking

back on these events in my life I am surprised I did not know this was my calling all along.

The teachers and supervisors throughout my education have influenced my decision to

teach heavily. As with any person’s education, some teachers were better or more involved than

others, but I think that both sides have developed my passion to teach. I usually do not remember

much about elementary school or my childhood much, but I do remember my second-grade

teacher vividly because she was such a loving, caring person. She was one of the first teachers

that I had a connection to, and it really made going to school significantly easier for me. Looking

back on that makes me realize the impact that I can have on a child’s life, and if I can make a

difference in someone’s life it will all be worth it. On the other hand, I have had teachers that

make it seem like they are simply there for a paycheck or that they just do not like their

profession at all. That may make some people think that teaching is not a good profession to go

into, but it takes the opposite affect on me. All the “not so good” teachers that I have had make

me want to be an even better one. I want to be a teacher that makes a child want to get up and be

as excited about learning as I will be teaching them. All the teachers, good and bad, have

influenced me to want to become an educator just like they were for me.

I feel that being a teacher comes with great qualities that come directly from the everyday

obstacles that they face. I have seen many great qualities in the teachers I have had, and I believe

that teaching is a direct cause of their good qualities. On a daily basis teachers put on a brave

face for their students. If you are struggling with things in your life, you temporarily put it aside

for the benefit of the children. When a child is struggling, you encourage them to keep fighting

so they can achieve a goal. If you do not think there is a way to get something done, you find a
way. There are so many other instances where teachers have to be courageous. All of the

problem’s teachers battle with bring out super-hero-like qualities for children, and that is what

makes me have such a strong will to teach. If I can someday instill those types of qualities into

children the world would be a much better place, and that is why it is so important for me to

become an educator.

I could go on forever with a long list of reasons as to why teaching is so important to me,

but it is mainly indebted to the teachers and experiences that I have had throughout my

educational career. If it wasn’t for the influence that they had on my life, I could be doing

something completely different with my life. I would not want to end up anywhere else than in a

classroom with children that I get the opportunity to teach and impact their lives just like my

teachers did. The events, people, and the qualities about the profession have all led me in the

path of education, and I could not be more grateful for that. I hope to soon be able to impact

children’s lives just like my teachers did for me, and ultimately make a difference in my

student’s lives.