I initially considered many other options, beyond teaching. I went up and down the list, and I job-shadowed, interned, volunteered, worked for a little bit, and interviewed at many different places and job settings, before I finally decided on a career in education.
I seriously considered fields like mental health counseling and social work. I myself have been in psychiatric treatment for a while, and so I know the general gist and drill of it; I sorta know how it goes. But my only issue with counseling and social work is that I don’t like hearing about problems, stressors, difficulties, and challenges that people have. Although I feel I can relate to their challenges, I just don’t like to insert myself into these issues, or into other people’s issues. And I feel that mental health counseling and social work is very serious work. And it’s a big commitment to take on, and you have to stick with it through thick and thin if you choose to go into it. I personally don’t like hearing about people’s mental health difficulties or life difficulties. I mean, it’s not just chit-chat that goes on in session; it’s serious dialogue and therapy. And so in the end, I just told myself that I’m better off without it.
I also considered graphic design, film and video production, and animation arts, for my career. And I also considered grant writing, communications/marketing, librarianship, speech-language pathology, culinary arts, and etc. But at the end of the day, I sort of realized that I’m not too invested in any of the above. I’m not that interested in or connected with any of that stuff. And so it’d be a haphazard selection, a questionable choice, with any of them. But with teaching and education, I actually have a little bit of prior experience with it, positive experiences. I attained this bit of experience through my after-school tutoring efforts, and through being a student in k-12 schools myself, if that counts. In addition, I’ve recently completed a class called The Management of Learning and Instruction, which was my very first graduate class in teacher education. The class went really well, I learned a lot. And I picked up some valuable knowledge and insights. And so in regards to teaching, I already have some experience and training in it, a little bit. And moreover, I have sentimental feelings for it, for the vocation. It’s always been a noble path, in my eyes. It’s always seemed really heartfelt and meaningful.
I’m currently pursuing my master’s in special education, in order to become a licensed special ed teacher. And I plan to seek additional certification in English language arts too, in order to teach ELA. | I think I made the right choice, with teaching. And I’m glad I went through the journey and the process of considering and trying different things, before deciding on teaching. You have to be sure, I guess. It’s a huge commitment, with whatever it is.
| I want to help my students be the best they can be, with both my special ed and my ELA classes. I know how difficult life can be, and I know that this life is largely based on individual effort and responsibility. These two elements are huge. It’s actually first and foremost—and then community effort and responsibilities comes next. Take care of yourself first, stand up on your own two feet—and then help others, help the less fortunate in the community. And help whoever needs help.
Individual effort and responsibility took a while to become fully relevant for me. I didn’t yet know what I wanted to do with my life, and so I had minimal responsibilities at the time. But now that I have a focus and a vision, I can start to work towards it. And I can help others find their way, too. And I can assist in helping others meet their basic needs, and I can hopefully offer my talents towards the greater good, towards the community. Meaning my neighborhood community, and the various social groups I identify with.
| Another reason why I chose teaching is because I wanted something “fun and interactive” for myself. I wasn’t convinced that a “regular, corporate, 9-5 job” was right for me. I wasn’t convinced that corporate, nonprofit organizational, or any type of departmental work was right for me. When I was honest with myself, I found that I’m not drawn to anything in particular in regards to line of work. Not to any great extent. And at least teaching is more talk-based and interactive. And so it’s more social-service oriented. You don’t have to produce a bunch of stuff or a bunch of work in a particular field, I think. That’s not the main idea, I guess. The main idea is that you’re trying to impart necessary knowledge and skills to the next generation, and you’re trying to instill a love of learning and a desire to excel, in them–a desire to excel in whatever field they choose for themselves, later down the line. And so in a way, teaching is the career that nurtures all other careers. It’s a springboard and a sort of starting point for students, for people who are trying to learn and develop their knowledge and skills.
And so yeah, I didn’t want to choose “anything in particular,” in a way. I mean with teaching special ed and English language arts, I’ll be teaching adapted-curriculum math, science, history, and English; and I’ll hopefully serve as a mentor and a resource for students who need/want guidance and support along their educational journey. I’m really good with recommending extra-curricular activities, extraneous educational resources, and things like books, films, videos, and community resources and enrichment programs that students can avail themselves of, depending on their interests. In addition, I feel that I’ll be good at liaising with parents and strengthening students’ passions and talents in particular areas. And so I plan to be somewhat of a lead learner and a good helper/facilitator/mentor within the school. And I plan to give teaching 110%, I wanna give it my best. I don’t have that much longer on earth, I guess. I’m not exactly a spring chicken anymore. And so I wanna make the rest of my days count, I wanna do as much for other people as possible. I have to do unto other people what I would like done unto me.
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