Why do you want to become a teacher? One common answer that you will hear from a child is, “because I want to be like my teacher, teaching children like me to learn.” I am sure most of us share the same answer. I believe as well that most of us who have achieved this academic goal are still guided by the noble ambition to teach children.
Teaching does not start and end with the basics alone. We teachers need to be competitive and innovative. And becoming one requires necessary constant retooling, because we do perform such herculean tasks from school to home work extensions. And with these, we have to meet certain expectation from being the nurturers and molders of the young minds to shapers and builders of the land. These all lie in our hands. Children depend on us equally as future servants of the nation rely on us.
But why would one want to become a teacher? Opportunity for job access, one may again answer. Children are increasing. Schools are growing too. The need for teachers is even rising. Hiring can be now and then.
But beyond just teaching children to learn is another call for us teachers and a huge challenge to take. Some would enroll for a masters study, others for doctorate degree while there are still those who would just focus on attending trainings and seminars. We may admit it or not, it is a must for us teachers to continue pursuing professional growth and development because teaching is a continuous learning.
However, in our recent days, many of us view earning a post-graduate degree more of a stepping stone for promotion and least for the advancement of one’s professional skills. As a matter of fact, I am afraid that one day if I ask my pupils the same question “Why do you want to become a teacher?” they will answer me “because the opportunity to land a job is high if you are a teacher.”
We understand the practicality of life yet let us not stop inspiring ourselves to put dedication as our top priority. After all, we owe from these children our existence as teachers. Let our love for them reign, a commitment to carry through. Let it not cease from way back then, when we were said to be and we shall live to be the so-called “My Teacher, My Hero.”