Relfection 3

Teaching has always attracted me as a career. Growing up, I was blessed many times to have teachers who were absolutely outstanding. You know the type that push you, validate you, and make you feel empowered? Well, they were littered throughout my school experience. Their influence played a large roll in many of the decisions I made as a youth, and I am grateful for their examples.

People often ask me why I want to teach junior high specifically, and that is a valid question. Here is the answer: The students are impressionable, and I know, given the chance, I could leave a good impression.

I could site a lot of different experiences, and reasons to illustrate this, but here is what it comes down to. Junior high is an extremely important time when it comes to decision making. If I were to look back at all of my friends and the paths they chose for their lives, almost every time, I can pin point when they began that road to junior high.

That statement is true of my friends who turned to substance abuse, to the guy covered in tattoos, to my friends who had babies out of wedlock, and to my stalwart friends  all equally.  I'm not saying that people can't or won't change, or that everyone decides their lives in junior high, but most everyone I knew, including myself did.

Throw important life decisions in with acne, sports practice, bubbling hormones, family or societal problems,  mountains of homework, peer pressure, drugs, and more hormonal imbalances and what do you get? Chaos.

Talk about the key time to have the greatest impact! Good, moral teachers are crucial to every stage, but especially in junior high, and I want to be there to help with it all.