Why I Teach
Every time a new semester rolls around, I get a sense of dread. Students, unfortunately, have been getting worse over the years. Whether it is due to the effects of standardized testing from No Child Left Behind or the growing sense of entitlement seen with Gen Y and the Millennials, teaching just hasn't been as much fun any more and every semester I wonder "why the hell am I doing it again?"
Don't get me wrong, the kids at Rural College and Inner City College are good kids but they lack a lot of the critical thinking skills my students used to have and I am seeing more cases of the "but why didn't you give me the A? I tried so hard!" Heck, I quit the Rich Kid's College because I couldn't take their crap any more. When a majority of students don't even bother trying and then whine to the Department Chair or Dean about their Fs, it is just not worth it.
However, today I got an e-mail from one of my former students from Rick Kid's College. He told me that not only did he enjoy my classes but he is now minoring in Sociology so that he can get a better perspective on the world around him. He also said that he plans to become an educator because of the influence I had on him. This was a good kid too. You know the one who makes teaching a pleasure in the first place? He was an A student, very smart, and actually liked learning for the sake of learning. I was lucky enough to have him for multiple classes.
This e-mail is the reason why I teach. I always tell myself if I could just positively impact one student, just one, a semester then it's all worthwhile. Considering how many students I teach each and every semester you would think this would be an easy task but lately it has seemed almost impossible.
To my former student: thank you. Not only did you make my day but you helped remind me as to why I teach. Some days we lose sight of that and it's nice to be reminded of the reasons why we became teachers in the first place.
Don't get me wrong, the kids at Rural College and Inner City College are good kids but they lack a lot of the critical thinking skills my students used to have and I am seeing more cases of the "but why didn't you give me the A? I tried so hard!" Heck, I quit the Rich Kid's College because I couldn't take their crap any more. When a majority of students don't even bother trying and then whine to the Department Chair or Dean about their Fs, it is just not worth it.
However, today I got an e-mail from one of my former students from Rick Kid's College. He told me that not only did he enjoy my classes but he is now minoring in Sociology so that he can get a better perspective on the world around him. He also said that he plans to become an educator because of the influence I had on him. This was a good kid too. You know the one who makes teaching a pleasure in the first place? He was an A student, very smart, and actually liked learning for the sake of learning. I was lucky enough to have him for multiple classes.
This e-mail is the reason why I teach. I always tell myself if I could just positively impact one student, just one, a semester then it's all worthwhile. Considering how many students I teach each and every semester you would think this would be an easy task but lately it has seemed almost impossible.
To my former student: thank you. Not only did you make my day but you helped remind me as to why I teach. Some days we lose sight of that and it's nice to be reminded of the reasons why we became teachers in the first place.
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