The Gift Of Education

It may sound cliché, but I was born to teach students with disabilities. Growing up, I had the best example to follow. My mother actively taught special education for 31 years and seeing her interaction with students created a passion in me to do the same thing. Even at a young age, it was evident that I wanted to be a teacher: from forcing my younger brother to sit still and play “school” with me, to spending my free time volunteering in special needs classrooms during middle and high school.

Ever since I was a little girl I had this dream of being a teacher. Whether it was making up “pretend” tests or having my younger brother sit through my instruction, I knew that I was a born teacher. And now that I have grown and matured into a responsible young woman, I feel that my place in this world is in the classroom. I feel that the children are our future and we should teach them everything we know to the best of our abilities. Every summer since the age of 13, I have been babysitting for local families in my small hometown of Pineville. In fact, 2 years ago I had been babysitting for a Optometrist and his wife and they were expecting their second child. As an honor, they asked if they

Looking back at the experience I had in observing, I still have the determination to inspire others through a career in teaching. Teaching is a very diverse job that requires many skills and a lot of patience. It is important for a teacher to be able to maintain a healthy and professional relationship with their pupils, develop lesson plans that keep the attention of a majority of the students, make the atmosphere of the classroom inviting, and be a welcoming person capable of standing up in front of the class to

From a young age, I was taught that education is paramount. Various members of my immediate and extended family work as educators. Many summers I have spent in my mother’s school helping her prepare her classroom, and I enjoy

When I finish my associates in Arts at Greenville Technical College, I plan to transfer to get my Bachelors (B.A.) in Early Childhood Education from University of South Carolina- Columbia. I chose this career because I love children with a passion and every job I’ve had has been with children involved. Being in the presence of children makes me happy. I also chose this career because I know that when I wake up in the morning I will not dread going to work every day, I will gladly get up an strive to make a difference in their lives. I want to be an impact on as many of their lives as I can by being a part of their life and teaching them. I want to be someone they look up to, someone “who inspires and encourages us [them] to strive for greatness, live to our [their] full potential and see the best in [them]” (Teach). To become a teacher takes a lot of hard work and motivation.

I am an English and Math tutor on Bay Farm Island, where I teach children from the main Island and even Oakland. I found I had a love for teaching when I began helping my siblings with their homework in middle school. It was simple homework back then, so I did not think much of it, but it slowly developed into a passion. I was always good at working with kids, but I just thought that meant I would be a good mom one day! When I started working at my tutoring center, I even told my employer that I wanted to work with the younger kids, simply because it was my comfort zone. She placed me with the older students however, and although I was nervous about it, I ended up loving it! I am an avid believer in the power of education, and I see it everyday when I work with my middle schoolers. One of my students, came in shy and reserved socially. Her grades were below average, but she had determination within her. She came in willing to learn, and after teaching her for just two months, she flourished. She is now a cheerleader at her school, with amazing grades on her tests, and continually gets positive feedback from all her teachers. She is only in the 5th grade, but I know that I have impacted her life for the better. The education we gave her, made her have the confidence to put herself out there and do well in class. It is children like her, that influenced me to

My passion has always been to help students succeed and find their goals in life. Caring for children has always been something that I have been good at and really enjoy doing, I have a strong nurturing side that is always willing to help people in need. Since I have always been wanting to help students become successful I chose the topic to research on how students with disabilities act and perform differently in a classroom setting. As a teacher I want to find ways to keep students engaged and learning, by finding methods and services for these students it gives them a better opportunity to strive for success, which is my ultimate goal and passion. I care so much about this because I have seen students with disabilities struggle in the classroom and teachers don’t put in the time and effort to help them. Since helping students both academically and emotionally is something I take to heart this topic is easy to care about, I care about the students and their ability to make something of themselves

I have been in the field of special education for more than 20 years, as a self-contained, transition to work high school special educator, as an educational specialist at a school for students with severe learning disabilities, a resource teacher for students for students on the autism spectrum and emotional handicaps, and as a Director of Special Programs. Regarding my teaching experiences, they were all limited to high school aged students, it was not until I became a Director of Special Programs did I have the honor of working with students and families of all ages and grade levels.

My desire to teach really derives from those who really connected me with the love for educating others. The connection I made with my fourth grade teacher really encouraged me to seek a change for the better in my life and help others do the same. For she turned out to be one of my best friends who would watch out and made sure to tell me when something was not quite right with me. The connection I had with her made me feel like I was a part of her family, and could do anything with her support. The way she always had time to listen to my drama or play games with my friends and I created this idea that maybe I could be that person for other kids. In the fourth grade I had just moved from a very different demographic of kids, only had a few

Working in the school system and becoming an educator was NEVER my plan. My entire collegiate career was dedicated to the field of speech-language pathology, and earning the grades required for graduate school acceptance. Ironically, I found myself working for a school district as a speech-language pathologist assistant right out of college. I soon realized that my passion was not articulation or stuttering therapy, but rather, autism. I had the opportunity to work with several students on the autism spectrum and I soaked up every second. I felt compelled to learn more, do more, and become more for these students. Working with special needs students requires collaboration with many different teachers and other professionals. The special education

My decision and drive to become a special education teacher came with much thought and reflection. It was a cumulation of personal interests and soul searching; paired with motivation to create a career I am passionate about. I want to enrich the lives of students who daily enrich my life through their openness and continuously positive out look in life. My experience volunteering with special populations started when I was in sixth grade, and continued throughout high school. I was chosen by faculty to help during my elective period, in a special education class. Teachers and parents saw my sincere desire to help and contribute to each of these students. As years went on, and my education and awareness of special populations progressed; I took advantage of many volunteer opportunities to help with kids and adults with special needs. At CSU Chico, I volunteered at the Red Hen nursery which helped adults with disabilities join the work force. During my summers I spent time at a Camp Recreation summer camp which provided a fun and education filled camp experience for adults with disabilities.

Ever since I was young, I was told that education is the path to success. My father always told me that education will open more doors for me in the future and that I shouldn’t give up. Growing up as a student with English as my second language has been difficult in my educational life, although I comprehend the language sometimes there are some words that I am not yet familiar with, education has given me the ability to understand English.  My sponsor of interpreters club has told us, that being bilingual is a gift that we must take advantage of.

Teaching has always been my passion. Since I was a child, I always knew I want to become a teacher. In elementary school, I used to play school with my brothers, in middle and high school, I worked at various childcare centers in Washington, D.C, and in college, I majored in Early Childhood Education. Once, I decided that I truly wanted to become a teacher, I knew I wanted to be a teacher in a D.C Public School (DCPS). As a graduate of DCPS, I specifically wanted to work with children who come from a similar background and environment. Specifically, I wanted to help create positive relationships between school, home and the community by understanding and valuing my students’ culture and community.

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew that in my future I wanted to become a teacher. I always looked up to my teachers, especially the ones I had in elementary school. I even played 'school' with my friends and pretended I had my own classroom. I loved being in charge. During a summer, I was given the opportunity to work as an Energy Express mentor and work with a group of eight children. This was one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever been through. I was a mentor to help guide the children, and by the end of the summer I felt as if I had really accomplished something. I am planning to pursue a career in elementary education. I love children, and just knowing that as a

Education is important not only to maintain daily life, but also to become someone who contributes to society. Without education people have no chance to impact the lives of others in their own community. I want to give the children I teach a chance to give back to their community and society.