There are various reasons as to why I feel most comfortable around older students versus the little ones. I’ve always kind of known that I do better around older students, and that seems strange because I am only 18. Anyways, here are a few of the reasons as to why I want to teach high school students.
I feel most genuine around that age.
Since I was 14, I have worked in an environment where I cater to mainly younger kids (3-9 was the typical age range) and I appeared to really enjoy working with those kids, but on the inside, I found it hard to be myself around those kids. Which makes sense because with kids, there is always an element of white lies to protect them (it sounds horrible, but just think about it). Anyways, I find that it’s easier for me to be myself around kids that are 14 and older, and I really enjoy having conversations with them and relating to their struggles and offering advice to them.
Their problems are more realistic.
Let’s be honest, it’s easier to understand why someone is upset because “my boyfriend broke my heart” as opposed to “she took my crayon!” At least it is for me. It’s also easier for me to feel compassionate about something like that and I feel like I’m actually making a difference. I definitely understand that to little ones, someone taking their crayon is a big deal to him/her, but I also don’t really have the patience to deal with that on a daily basis. I prefer to help older kids with their issues and daily struggles because those problems will often affect the way that they enter adulthood.
I feel like I make more of a difference in their lives.
If I think about it, I can say that I’ve had more meaningful conversations with adults as a high schooler than any other time in my young life. Not to say that my elementary and junior high teachers did not play a significant role in who I am today, they did, but I know only a handful of them will play a significant role in who I want to be. I truly believe that as a high school teacher, I will play a bigger role in who a person wants to be and that is important to me. I have been told many times to leave my mark on the world, and I really believe the best way that I can do that is to become a high school teacher.
Honestly I could go on forever about why I want to teach high schoolers, but I believe the most important reason is that I know in my heart that that is what I want to do. I have yet to find something that I feel most in my element than in a high school classroom, in front of kids, and encouraging them to want to learn.
~ TEA
Thoughts, Experiences, Advice (TEA) 