Throughout my life, I have not been the most outgoing person. Due to my little brother passing away due to heart issues and several other factors, I always struggled with finding my place in school. After struggling to find my place, I joined an Education and Training class in my sophomore year. I never even thought about what I wanted to do and I did not even know if I liked children, but I had a teacher who believed in me and seen the potential in me. Through that class, I joined several clubs and finally found my place. After that class, I joined Teaching 1 and Teaching 2, where I was able to come out of my shell. Through those several classes, I gained a passion for becoming an early childhood educator. I intern at several schools, including Brookwood Elementary School, the Pre-K program at Brookwood High School, and Little Steps Daycare Center. I also have worked at Lake View Elementary School's afterschool program since my junior year. While experiencing all of these different areas, I have discovered many ways that help children learn and grow. As a teacher, I want to help my community grow by helping children realize the potential they have to create the best environment for themselves. As they do that I want to help prepare them for their success by allowing my classroom to be a place where students are able to learn the best way they can and allowing them to create their own experiences through my class. What has helped me through school has always been inspiring teachers and I hope to be one of those teachers for someone someday. For the past year at my job, I feel like I have already made a mark on some of the children's lives. Although I enjoy my internships and my job, there are other ways I would love to give back to my community. I love to volunteer and help in my clubs. While I was in my Green Team club at Brookwood High School, I would help recycle every day and the trash would go to companies such as Mercedes and Crayola. In Chick-fil-a Leadership Academy, my group was able to create a project for my community where we set up a kickball game to raise money for items to give to the Special Needs program at Brookwood Elementary School. In my honors clubs, such as the National Honors Society, Beta Club, Mu Alpha Theta, and National Technical Honors Society, I donated items such as toys and toiletries to charities for the homeless and children in need. In Future Teachers of Alabama or FTA, my organization goes to schools, such as Vance Elementary, and help create a day where the younger grades are able to have an Easter Egg hunt and several games to play. While there I was able to talk to several students and allow the fifth graders to help the younger students in any way they wanted to. As a future educator, I want to be able to continue to create ways for my community to thrive and give back to those in need. I want to encourage my future students to do the same to create a better world for themselves and the future. I hope someday to find children just like I was and help them blossom into the best they can be. While once a quiet child who was always afraid to take chances, I now have become someone who is able to change the future and plan to inspire others to do the same.

Inspiration can come from many experiences in life. To start being inspirational as a teacher, you must get to know the students. I was inspired by teachers who tried to get to know students. Every day just a simple “how are you doing?” could change my entire day. The teacher who inspired me the most always pushed me to do my best and helped me learn my passion and I appreciate them for that. Without those educators, I would still be lost today. The youth being inspired helps them on the right track. Being educated can be one of the most important weapons in society. Today, many people just follow what others have to say without thinking for themselves. I believe a teacher needs to help students realize that education is an important tool to get them through society. The youth need to know this so they can grow into someone who will shape the world into a better place instead of destroying it. Mentoring the youth will help guide them through life choices in the best way possible and to allow them to form their own opinions. To do this, I plan on creating the best environment for students to learn. Through internships and my job at an elementary school, I have been given many reasons to gain a passion for going into early childhood education. I have learned so much through the children I have met and want to continue to learn more. I want to have a bright classroom full of energy when I become an early childhood educator, which through my internships and just being in school, I have learned that those classrooms always have the best environment for students and the teacher. I learned creating a safe space for students that allow them to feel like they can speak freely and learn helps improve the classroom environment also. I believe that just showing passion toward students will create a better classroom environment and help students become passionate about learning, which will inspire them.

Being educated can be one of the most important weapons in society. Today, many people just follow what others have to say without thinking for themselves. I believe a teacher needs to help students realize that education is an important tool to get them through society. The youth need to know this so they can grow into someone who will shape the world into a better place instead of destroying it. Mentoring the youth will help guide them through life choices in the best way possible and to allow them to form their own opinions. Through experiences at my job, internships, and volunteering in classrooms, I have learned ways to help educate children. I have learned so much through the children I have met but I want to continue to learn more. I have learned that teachers who have a bright classroom full of energy help keep students engaged. The best teachers create a safe space for students to feel like they are allowed to speak freely and learn. I believe that just showing passion toward students will create a better classroom environment and help students become passionate about learning. This will help mentor students better to become educated. While learning about how to teach children the importance of education, it is important for the teacher to also learn and grow themselves. A teacher who also grows and learns with their students will help the students realize that they can always keep learning themselves. It is important to always keep learning because that’s what helps grow your mind. While a child is developing, they gain experiences through their surroundings. Even if these surroundings are good or bad, they are learning something about each of them. I believe that each of these experiences shapes the child into who they will become in their adult years. If a teacher can create an environment that creates positive experiences for a child, it will help that child grow into a better adult. As an adult, the child will be able to be more caring and positive, which will leave a more positive experience for the next generation of youth. As generations continue, each child who had a positive or negative childhood will affect the next generation. Teachers will play a great part in creating a positive emotional and academic environment for students. Education will help these students create a better world for generations to come, shaping the world into a better place.

Becoming a teacher can be one of the most stressful jobs out there, many just quit the job, and I have even been told by teachers that becoming an early childhood educator is something that I do not want to do. I have been told that I need to have certain guts to be a teacher. I believe that to be a good teacher means you must love students even on the bad days. As I have taken education and training classes at my high school, I have learned about the many ups and downs of working with children. I even took a job opportunity at Lake View Elementary for after-school care where I still currently work. Of course, not every day is a good day there, but to keep children from also having a bad day, I need to put on a smile. Every child goes home to something different that night and we will truly never know what goes on in their life. Even if I am with them for only a few hours each day, I am still the one they have to go to for any issue, and I need to make sure they are well taken care of. To love every child can be a difficult thing, but if you find out at least their name, it can make a huge difference to them. The best way to stay happy as a teacher is to find something you like about every child. During my Teaching 2 class, I go to an internship at Little Steps Child Development Center in Brookwood. I have had many friends ask me who my favorite child is there, and my answer is always none because I love all of their different personalities. While there I get one on one time to help students improve in reading and math by playing any game that I choose. I have discovered that asking every child what game they want to play has allowed them to stay focused and enjoy what they are doing. Through the games, I have learned about each of their personalities and how they learn best. This will help improve their knowledge even better and it helps me make sure they are getting the instruction they need. I have also had other internships and volunteer experiences through my Teaching One and Two classes. I interned at Brookwood Elementary School for two classes, one fifth-grade class, and one fourth-grade class. At Lake View Elementary I volunteered to help a third-grade class for a day. My experiences with them taught me the good and bad qualities of teachers. I have learned that teachers who have made their classrooms more bright and energetic have students more engaged in their lessons. I also learned that students that are put into table groups are more engaged than those in single rows where everyone is split up. Through these experiences at my job and internships, I have been given many reasons to gain a passion for going into early childhood education. I have learned so much through the children I have met and want to continue to learn more. I want to have a bright classroom full of energy when I become an early childhood educator. I will create a safe space for students to feel like they are allowed to speak freely and learn. I believe that just showing passion toward students will create a better classroom environment and help students become passionate about learning. Passion comes from loving every child in the classroom and wanting to create the best environment for them to prosper.