"Becoming" A Teacher

RE-POST:


The decision to start this blog was not a simple undertaking...while it was a class assignment, there were easier, less publicly soul-bearing,  methods of completing the assignment. To be honest I'd been considering the idea of starting a blog for some time but always came up with a convenient excuse not to. With this assignment and the nature of my new job, I had run out of excuses. 

The intention of this blog is not to be my individual, personal journey toward becoming a teacher but more of an exploration of the principles and philosophy of teaching through my experiences. I hope to share the humor, the struggles and most importantly the reality of what being a teacher is like.

I wanted to be very thoughtful in choosing the title of this blog. Having studied philosophy, I learned a lot about language and the intentionality of word choice. I named this blog "How to Become a Teacher..." with the intention share how I was "becoming" a teacher.

The wonderful thing about "becoming" is its infinite connection with change and learning. There is an inherent understanding in the word "becoming" that it is a process, and an evolution. This is exactly what I've already learned while becoming a teacher. Teachers are never done "becoming" teachers.

On the most basic level of "becoming", teachers, even once certified, still are required to pursue professional development and refine their craft. Additionally, teachers need to be ready for anything. We NEVER know when a student will ask a question about current events, clarification on some obscure fact or even call us on something we just said. Personally, in "becoming" a teacher, I honestly believe that I could never be the best teacherpossible and inspire my students to learn if I didn't continually pursue my own passion for education.

I recently found a a quote from Plutarch that in one sentence entirely sums up my philosophy of education: "A mind is a fire to be kindled, not a vessel to be filled."  In my opinion, being a teacher is about building the brightest fire to inspire the kindling of the minds of your students. Filling a vessel is finite but a fire burns as long as there is fuel and can be shared and ignited by others. I don't know how I could consider becoming anything else.