Since at least my sophomore year of high school, if not
before, many close family members and friends would tell me that I would
someday end up teaching—just like my Grandpa, just like my Mom, and just like
my Dad. I denied it for a couple years, but during my senior year I decided that
I wanted to pursue education. So I signed myself for education classes, but
began to doubt this choice, being persuaded that there were other things I could
do and other careers I could pursue that were bigger and better than being a
teacher. However, I've come to realize that at this point in my life there is
no greater call on my heart than to teach. And what a journey it’s been thus
far, and will continue to be.
This semester I've been required to immerse myself in a
classroom to observe and participate; I have been placed in an 11th
grade English class at a local, small Christian high school (and not the one I
went to). This requirement has been stressful because it’s an extra 3+ hours a
week I’m busy—which while taking 17 credit hours, having extra time commitment for
orchestra and labs, and trying to work around 25 hours a week is a bit
difficult—but it’s definitely been worth it. Mostly because it has probably been
the most influential factor in removing many of my doubts about going into
education.
This confirmation came in the form of several small moments
of epiphany while in the classroom. The first was on one of my very first days
observing; I was talking to the classroom teacher who was telling me about his
journey through college and teaching at different schools around the country
and even around the world. He began to say something about what techniques and
types of lessons work better here, compared to other schools he taught in, and
I began to realize that although I already knew it intellectually, practically
speaking teachers always have to be on their toes. They have to go through a
lot of their higher education learning all about learners, new educational
research, school contexts etc. in order that they will be able to plan lessons
well, so everyone can learn, and maybe more surprisingly, so that they can
respond during class and react effectively if the class period is not going as
planned.
My second moment really holds the weight of my call to be a
teacher. Nothing really special happened to bring this about, I was just
grading papers and listening to the teacher’s conversation with the students as
they worked and thought “I could do this for the rest of my life.” And that wasn't a depressing thought, like I've chosen to be stuck doing this, but it
was a thought full of great hope—I get to share my love of chemistry or my love
of writing (or both!) with all kinds of students. I can teach them all about
the interworkings of an atom or the interworkings of a sentence simply for its
own sake because I truly believe that it is important to be at least a little
bit experienced in most academic fields.
Although I’ll probably never go on to get my PhD in
chemistry and do a bunch of experiments and research, that doesn't mean that
one of my students can’t. The class that I teach could have that much of an
impact on someone, hopefully from a combination of efficient and passionate
teaching that overflows from my love for students and my love for chemistry. I
know I’ll run into students who don’t understand the purpose in learning
chemistry, but I’ll strive to show them how it’s one of the most beautiful
studies of God’s creation—displaying the complexity of design and the complete
order set up in the world.
The call to teach is much more than learning about pedagogy
and lesson planning, more than sharing a love for a subject area. It is a call
to be a light in a dark world. It is a call to serve the students and the
community in the best way you possibly can by not only sharing valuable
academic information but also by taking a personal interest in the lives of
these students. If I think back to my time in grade school through high school,
and even now in college, there have been so many teachers who have impacted the
way I think, the way I act, and my spiritual life more than I ever thought
possible simply because they cared for me as a person. They gave of themselves
to come alongside me and help me learn, but also to help me grow as a person by
investing their time and energy into building relationships and giving advice.
That is something I’ll forever be thankful for and something I hope I can do in
my future classroom as well.
