My Inspiration
If anyone ever asks you, “who inspired you to want to do your profession?” do you have an answer ready on hand? I do. As a future teacher, I am always asked who made me want to be a teacher, because it makes sense, right? For me though, it isn’t a person. I remember that in second grade I had made up my mind to be a teacher, but I don’t remember why. To me, that is super difficult to admit because typically teachers have someone who inspired them. The reason I wanted to become a teacher is that when I was going through elementary school, I was severely bullied. I tried getting my parents, teachers, and principals involved, but nothing ever worked. So from first grade until sixth grade, I was on my own to deal with the kids who were not so nice to me. I realized that I never wanted any of my students to feel the ways that I did each day when going to school. I never hated school, I was always happy to be there. It was just because of the other students that I had such a hard time learning. It was in then that I realized I was going to be different than my teachers. I will never be too busy to listen to a student that is dealing with something personal inside or outside of school. I will always make sure I check-in with every one of my students, because building a good relationship and having that one on one is important.
Reassurance is Key
My mom is the one person who is always pushing me to do better and achieve all 
of my goals. She is my best friend, I tell her everything and I am also the one person who is pushing her to do better as well. Whenever I feel like I won’t be a good educator, she’s right there reminding me why I was chosen to be accepted into the education program here at Millersville University. She teaches me a lot about discipline, building relationships, time management, preparation and a lot of things that they don’t tell you in school. She teaches me to be an overall good person, which I feel is essential in any field of work, but especially the field of working with people and their children.
Shaping My Path
There are many theorists who have shaped the education world and everything we believe. Thankfully there are many to incorporate into my teaching style, but here are just two I like in particular.
Gardner– His theory was that children have multiple intelligences. I think that is so true and that every learner should not be restricted to one type of learning. 
Students need to explore what they are good at doing and that no intelligence is the same as another and that is perfectly normal.
Piaget- The Nature Vs. Nurture debate is one every preservice teacher has heard about. I think in every education class, we all debate about it. In my opinion, you need both, just like yin and yang, you can’t have one without the other. As a teacher, we should be prepared for any type of need a student may have. We need to be equipped with snacks, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, extra school materials, a helping hand, and listening ears but most importantly an open heart. We will never know what students will walk into our classrooms one day. We must be prepared for anything those children may need.
Why and How in the Field
Every professor I have had the opportunity to learn from at Millersville University has had a strong impact on my early childhood education career. In the field, I am able to see everything my classes have discussed. From classroom management to where the students are in their development, I can finally apply it. As a student, I can say though that I am still learning and growing. I will never be perfect, but I do try my best and try to be calm and confident when out in the field. The professors I have this semester are really doing a wonderful job of teaching us more of how things work when you are teaching. I am very thankful for the experiences they are giving us.
Speak the Truth
Who speaks the truth for me and shares their insights? Again, my professors are very real with us. They tell us what it’s like to be a teacher. One of my professors is an elementary school principal and she tells us all the details she looks for when hiring teachers. She tells us about what her job is like and how teachers affect her and how she affects her teachers, and so on. I think having that experience is really helpful because it becomes more real for us. It isn’t just an idea anymore, we are given the cold hard facts about what teachers do and how they teach.
Overall, I can say that having mentors when studying a profession is essential. They can teach you things about the field that no textbook can prepare you for, and they can help you when you stumble and fall.