I remember in 5th grade I decided I wanted to teach elementary school. It was my teacher at the time (Mrs. Ward)'s first year teaching, and her enthusiasm for teaching and her obvious love for her students was very inspiring.
Throughout the next 7 years I lost sight of that dream, slightly. Deep down I still knew I wanted to teach elementary school, but I easily found excuses as to why it should not be my major.
1.) It was what my older sister was doing
2.) It isn't an "impressive" major
3.) It is the cliche "mormon girl at BYU" major
4.) People give you that, "Oh you're one of
THOSE," looks every time you tell them your major.
Sad as this may be, many of these reasons started to wear on me and I questioned if El Ed really was the right choice for me. I convinced myself that doing El ED was just talking the "easy way-out" and I was destined for "more impressive" things.
Because of this, I briefly (very briefly) considered various other majors. English (with the intent of becoming an english teacher), RMYL, Human Development, and a few others.
Then, one day during the second semester of my freshman year, I was at my friend Stephen's apartment and he was asking me about my major. I told him how I'd wanted to be an elementary school teacher since i was little, but I just felt like it was...cliche. I braced for the worst: the negative remarks, the "oh you're one of
those" looks,...I'd heard it all.
But instead of any of that, Stephen looked at me and said, "Hannah. That is awesome! You would be a GREAT elementary school teacher!"
And that was all it took. Even with the countless instances of negative feedback, I knew that he was right. It
is awesome. And it is my dream.
Even though I brace myself each time I have to publicly announce my major, and suffer through
The Looks (i swear, they are real!), I am truly excited about being an Elementary School teacher. I am thrilled. I hope I can live up to what Stephen said almost two years ago...and be considered--at least by some--a "great" teacher, someday.
:)
