Stephanie Boersma

Proof Reader: Michelle Boersma

When my enthusiastic, bright-eyed, gap-toothed, first grade self was asked what I wanted to be

when I grew up, I remember declaring a teacher with rock-solid confidence. Numerous girls in my class

declared the very same answer with similar cute gap-toothed smiles. Yet as these girls grew and

additional career opportunities began to emerge, many of them departed from their educational aspirations

and moved to other occupations. Not so with me. My burning passion for education has remained ablaze

for more than fifteen years now.

I received my educational foundation at a private school, which I attended until high school. Our

tight-knit school community allowed me to develop a close relationship with all of my teachers, each of

whom I looked up to as a role model. My teachers impacted essentially every aspect of my life, teaching

me more than just biology and mathematics. They taught me valuable life lessons to help me succeed

beyond term papers and standardized testing. The dedication, genuineness, and high expectations of my

teachers had a tremendous impact on my life, and inspired me to have this same impact on the life of

others. My extraordinary teachers were not the only contributing factors to my decision. I began

following my passion for children at the age of 11 by babysitting kids not much younger than I. A lady at

my church asked me to babysit for her Bible study each Sunday night. For these evenings, I prepared a

complete theme-based lesson plan complete with a game, snack, and craft. From babysitting during Bible

study, to teaching preschoolers at Vacation Bible School, to playing with my little cousins at family

reunions, the opportunities of working with these mischievous little bundles of joy were irreplaceable. My

motivational teachers and passion for working with young kids reinforced my childhood decision to

pursue teaching as my career of choice.

Although my school and babysitting experiences were significant contributors to my decision,

other influencers and real life experiences confirmed that teaching was more than just a passion, but also

a sound career opportunity. My seventh grade teacher, Ms. Hibma, was an incredible influence on my

decision. She was more than just a teacher, she was a mentor and friend that I would go to for advice. Not

only did she get to know each of her students individually, she also invited us to be a part of her life by
Stephanie Boersma
Proof Reader: Michelle Boersma

sharing personal stories and experiences. The lessons she taught me are priceless, and have become

building blocks of my future. I plan to become the very best teacher I can be, and I only hope I can be as

influential in another students life as she was in mine. My experience as a nanny was another large

influence which allowed me to spend a huge amount of time with children of various ages. The

relationships I developed with each child were entirely unique. Seeing each child grow and learn new

knowledge and skills, even though only over the course of one summer, was captivating. I am ecstatic to

have a similar opportunity in my future career path.

While I am thrilled to experience the joys of teaching, I know they will be accompanied with

struggles. One of the joys and privileges I am excited to experience is the opportunity to truly make a

difference in my students lives by playing a part in shaping their future. It will be exciting to be able to

see my students progress toward meeting their goals, knowing I played even a tiny part in their

successes. The opportunity of building strong and lasting relationships with my students will have an

effect on not only their lives, but also my own. However, I realize that among these countless joys there

will also be struggles. While I am excited for my students who have a passion for learning, I know I will

encounter those with a lack of motivation and no work ethic or desire to learn. My responsibility will be

to accept this as a challenge, and to make school a positive and interactive experience for these children.

In addition, I anticipate I may feel overworked and underpaid at times. With all the work that goes into

teaching effectively, I can imagine feeling undercompensated. However, during these times I need to

revisit the endless joys that are unique to this occupation, making it all worthwhile.

I believe teaching is a unique career which allows one the opportunity to help equip children with

the skills and knowledge needed to expand their horizons and be successful in school, their chosen career

paths, and their entire lives. I believe it is my responsibility as a teacher to prepare my students for a life-

long learning ability. As a teacher, I will enforce creative and critical thinking as vital skills. I believe

teachers should maintain high standards for all students, challenging them to complete everything to the

best of their ability. I will embrace a combination of the direct and indirect instructional teaching
Stephanie Boersma
Proof Reader: Michelle Boersma

methods. Each model exhibits its individual strengths and weaknesses, and I believe a combination will

capitalize student learning. Direct instruction should be utilized when the aim is for students to gain

content knowledge and facts, while indirect instruction will be applied for concept learning, inquiry

learning, and problem-centered learning. The type of instruction is just as crucial as the ability to relate to

my students. Being able to connect with students enables effective communication of knowledge which

aids students understanding of concepts. My goal will be to create a positive classroom climate which

promotes respect, trust, and participation. In order to continue my personal growth as a teacher and adapt

to future changes in the profession, I will strive to make learning about educational research, theory, and

practice as a regular priority in my schedule. This includes following current industry trends, reading

articles and books about recent and future technologies, and making regular use of up-to-date devices.

Beyond the instructional methods, relationships, and technologies, I will apply a constructivist philosophy

model. As a teacher, I will provide my students with experiences which give them the opportunity to

inquire, explore, examine, imagine, and invent. My role as a teacher will be to facilitate student learning

as an integrative process of combining multiple learning experiences.

The teaching profession is a gratifying and rewarding career which will allow me to experience

the opportunity of truly making a difference in other peoples lives. I have dreamed of being a teacher

since I was only a little first grader. This passion for education and working with young children

continues to be my dream. My inspiring teachers, experiences with young kids, and hunger to learn have

all been huge contributors to my decision to pursue teaching as a career. Although I know there will be

struggles and hardships, I believe the opportunity to touch lives and the joys of teaching will far outweigh

the difficulties. My desire is to work tirelessly to build strong relationships with my students and create a

classroom atmosphere where my students feel safe, welcome and empowered to learn.