Why Teach?

The readings that we discussed in class Thursday posed some very strong questions that one who is thinking about teaching can deeply reflect on. Chapter 3, specifically had 10 self-reflection questions that could determine what type of teacher you could possibly be if you decided it was your calling. For example, the 5th question that Herbert Kohl poses in Chapter 3 is “what age do you feel comfortable teaching?” This is an important question to ask yourself if you’re interested in teaching because if you end up teaching a grade that you aren’t comfortable with, it can affect the way you influence your students. Determining who you are is important. When I think of why I might want to teach, I think of Chapter 2 with John Taylor Gatto’s “The Green Monongahela”. My Green Monongahela, or inspiration to teach isn’t just one teacher like some people shared in class, but a large handful of the teachers that I have had over the years, especially in grade school. Since then, teaching has always been in the back of my mind as something I might want to do. I’ve worked with children of all ages for many years, so it’s just something I’m used to. And, as silly as it sounds, the TV show “How I Met Your Mother” sort of planted the seed in my head that teaching might be what I would truly enjoy doing and I haven’t been able to shake this feeling for a long time. If I do decide for sure that teaching is what I want to do, my biggest hope is to be as inspirational to my students as my past teachers have been to me.