Why I LOVE Teaching.....

I mentioned before that I am collaborating with Todd Nesloney on his Educator Learning Series. Now when I first read it I thought it would be an EASY one for me. Write about what you love about teaching. But if I'm being honest, it was actually harder to articulate those reasons than I thought.

Now when people ask me about my favorite teachers growing up-I actually don't remember very many of them by name. I did have a teacher in 12th Grade, her name was Mrs. Tatalias. Now my teacher in 10th grade had recommended me for the Honors AP classes in English. I never really felt like I fit in with that group. They had been together for a longer time and seemed to make connections a lot faster than I did-well, of course this is what Shakespeare meant. I think somehow Mrs. Tatalias knew that and purposefully read my essays aloud praising them. She kept me after class once encouraging to participate more (I was painfully shy) because in college that's where I was going to make friends. People were going to come up to me after class and comment on an answer I had given-I actually thought about that advice often in college. So she is who I think of to answer that question. I think she really knew me better than any other teacher I had growing up.

Why do I love teaching...oh, let me count the ways!

* I love feeling like I am really making a difference in the lives of my students. By having a good experience with me, it will help them maintain that love of going to school.

* I love to see how creative the kiddos can be!

* I love laughing and having fun with them.

* I love giving them a strong foundation in skills that they will use for the rest of their lives.

* I love introducing them to a passion for things like poetry and science.

* I love collaborating with other master teachers and learning new things myself.

* I love trying new technologies out with my kiddos.

* I love seeing them grow up and continuing to work with their families.