Blog Post 9

When I was young, the creative side of my brain developed faster than the side that wanted to read or do math. I struggled with reading for a long time, and my teachers always placed me in special reading groups, which were humiliating, and the teachers there were not very kind or helpful. I mostly just felt unwanted and stupid. One of the teachers I had later on believed in me. She helped me learn to read and I have loved to read ever since. 

As I have tried to figure out what I wanted to do, and what I wanted to study in school, I thought about the experiences I had as a young girl, and it ignited a fire inside of me to be a teacher and to help kids who struggle with reading. All it took for me was someone believing in me and exhibiting endless patience. I never wanted to be a teacher, but it looks like I changed my mind. 

I have loved the Service Learning because it has allowed me to get some first hand experience with students, and it has helped me decide whether or not teaching is actually something I want to do. It was a lot harder than I expected it to be. In my mind, all the students listened to me and they learned and it was great. That's not what my actual experience was like, especially in the classes with Special Ed kids, and those are the ones I was hoping to teach when I become a teacher. They don't listen, and they don't cooperate, and they don't learn, but it was an incredible experience. I do think that I will keep going in this direction and become a teacher, and hopefully one day I will be able to make a difference and help to change a student's life the way my teacher once changed mine.