I AM...

 

I AM...

more than "just a teacher."

1) I AM someone they trust, they confide in, and hope to see each and every day they come to school.

Kids remember you, and when you aren't there....they worry about you, ask about you, and wait for you to come back.  After spending one day with my students (Tuesday) and not spending the rest of the week with them because of different trainings I had to attend, my students were worried that I was never coming back.  It made me feel good to know that they cared about me and that they wanted me as their teacher.  Even though I wasn't in their classroom from 7-3, I always came back each night to work in my classroom and they always shouted, "MISS BRITTANE! YOU'RE BACK! ARE YOU STAYING?!"  Knowing your students want you and miss you when you're gone is one of the most rewarding things in my career.

2) I AM a teacher, an organizer, a planner, a designer, a communicator to parents, a role model, and the list could keep going...but I will stop there.  

As my parents could back me up on this, I literally spent about 10-11 hours each day this week at work, whether it be at trainings, working on things with my coworkers, or organizing and designing my classroom.  Yes, I am a first year teacher, but I believe I am a dedicated educator who wants the best for each and every one of my students; therefore, I am going to put in the work that is needed to make that possible.  Throughout this week, I have organized my classroom by going through all the materials, created lesson plans for the next two weeks, designed different things for the classroom such as learning center signs, behavior management sign,  student job signs, etc. (Pictures to come soon!)  Through this week, I have learned that teaching is not just a 7:00-3:00 job and it never will be.  However, I appreciate that and that is one of the reasons I love my career.  Teaching and educating students is on my mind whether I am at school, at home, or on the road.  I am always thinking of how I can improve my teaching, my classroom, and most importantly, how I can better my instruction so that my students can achieve everything they set their minds to!

3) I AM responsible for the future of our society, as I have the first impact on each and every student's educational careers.

Being a teacher is so important in the future of our society, as we determine the paths of our students by educating them on the basic core curriculum as well as educating them in future careers that they might possibly have, whether it be a teacher, a police officer, a farmer, an accountant, an engineer.  We determine how interested they are in each and every one of those careers as we are responsible for the exposure we give them during their education at school.  As a preschool teacher, I am lucky to have the students who are just entering their school years and are eager to learn and literally soak up everything they hear, see, interact with, etc.  Their brains are like sponges and it is so amazing to see the way their little minds literally soak in everything and remember EVERYTHING...yes, even if you forget to put makeup on...THEY WILL NOTICE! :)  Being a preschool teacher is the best career because I am so lucky to have students who are passionate about school and life and want to be at school and learn whatever I want to teach them.  Therefore, in preschool, we take advantage of this by exposing them to many different themes, such as health (dental, doctor, vet, etc.), different holidays, different concepts (alphabet, numbers, phonics, etc.).  I am responsible for the future of these kids, but more imporantly, I am responsible for the future of our society.

Do me a favor:

Next time you see someone, meet someone, or even know someone that is a teacher, take a second to thank them and show how much you appreciate what they do, because without teachers, where would our world be today?  Think about it, we all went to school for a reason, and without teachers, none of us would have been able to graduate from elementary school, high school, or most importantly, college.  Take a second, a minute, however long you have to truly thank a teacher for what they are doing.  Because everyone knows teachers aren't in it for the money, they are in it because they truly love kids and want the best life for each and every one of their students.

After being in a classroom for just one week, not even teaching, I have learned that...

 I AM more than "just a teacher."

Thank you all for listening...until next time, stay safe. <3