Professional Documents
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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
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
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
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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
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
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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
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.