Education Guru -My Reason for Teaching-

Where it all started…

I remember walking into my 2nd grade classroom with the biggest smile on my face every single morning. I knew the day ahead of me would hold great excitement and I was eager to see where it would take me and my adventures. Mrs. Vance was a memorable teacher from my childhood and I always enjoyed being in her classroom. Whether it was because of her real connections she made with her students, or the welcoming/inviting classroom she had, or maybe a combination of the two, I still remember the positive impact she had on my school experience. I believe that the impact she had on me is so tremendous, that it is the main reason for me wanting to start a career in the teaching field.

The most memorable part…

The most crucial part of successful teaching is to make the content fun and enjoyable for the students, but making a great lesson out of it. My first experience of this was in Mrs. Vance’s class and she would use a money system, v-bucks. V-bucks were fake money that would be given to students if they did a good deed, if they answered a question correctly, if they handed back papers to the class, etc. Eventually, students can turn in their v-bucks and essentially buy something from the prize box. Not only were v-bucks a fun competition for the class, but they also taught us students about saving money up for the more expensive prizes. It taught us a mini lesson about money and it was relevant in a second graders life.

In my classroom…

I am so grateful to have had a great teacher in my early elementary school years. Mrs. Vance did not just teach the school content, but I also learned about relationships, being a role model, and how to have a positive outlook on everything. I cherish my memories from her class because they helped me become the great student I am today. With that being said, it has motivated me immensely in my college education because I often remember why I want to be a teacher. I want to impact as many children’s lives positively that I can. I want to be that role model that they have right from the start. Students will not learn from a teacher they do not like, I aspire to be not only their teacher, but a friend they can come and talk to when things are not right at home. I want to build amazing relationships with each of my students and show them a welcoming environment for them to learn in.

Education Guru

                             Taylor Newhard
         Education GURU

Taylor’s Response:                                                                                                                    Education plays a big role in children’s lives. Going to school and seeing their friends is something a young child looks forward to every morning. Teachers also play a significant role because they are the students role models, someone they look up to. Fortunately, for me, I had a teacher that had such an inspiration on me and made elementary school a great experience for me. Mrs. Vance was my second grade teacher, who I requested to have because she had taught my older sister and brother. I admired her love for the students and her need to build those student teacher bonds.

A favorite memory of mine is the v-bucks, monolpoly money, she was handed out to her students. If a good deed was done or if a question was answered correctly Mrs. Vance would give out v-bucks. Eventually, we could cash in our v-bucks and buy something from the prize box. The prize box included fancy pens and pencils, animal shaped erasers, designed notebooks, etc. It was a successful way to get her students going above and beyond to try and get v-bucks. It also taught the students a small lesson on saving money and the benefits from it. Obviously, the bigger, better prizes cost more money and students would need to save money for weeks in order to afford these certain prizes.

I cannot wait to be in my own classroom. I will be certain to make strong connections with the students and make them feel welcomed and accepted. My classroom will be a positive environment for students to learn and grow.