My career of choice is education. I grew up the oldest daughter of 7 children. Older daughters alone have a lot of responsibility, but with 6 other kids in the house, the responsibility grows. I grew up teaching my brothers and sisters the things I learned in class when they were doing their homework. I taught them things I had to learn the hard way, in order to save them a little bit of grace. Don't get me wrong, my parents did everything they could for us, but as the oldest a lot of things fell on me by default. I taught my brother how to drive, my little sister to ride a bike, my younger sister to do her makeup. I taught them how to make cereal and pancakes. I could have turned my head away from teaching, but instead I grew a passion for it. I realized when I was about 17, that teaching was what I was born to do. I mean in my head it all made sense. Why else would I have all this patience, why else would I be the oldest, why else would I love learning? All these questions were answered the moment I stepped into a classroom. My decision was solidified when I taught my first solo lesson. I knew this is what I am supposed to be doing. It's my purpose. Because of this, I knew I needed to go to a 4 year school. Because I knew I had to be a teacher, I had to leave home. Which would be hard on my parents. They're going to have to rewire my siblings into picking up the slack I did for 18 years. I knew it would be hard on my sisters because they won't have their person at home anymore. I know it hurts my brothers cause no one can put them in place when they get a little too much base in their throats. While we all joke about what would happen after I leave, I know it's only because we're masking the pain of "who's going to be there for us now". Because of this, it breaks my heart to have to say goodbye for a little bit. It all goes away though, when I step into a classroom. When I'm teaching I no longer feel guilty. Because ultimately, this is MY passion. This is MY dream. This is what I know I was meant for.

Each and every child is special. All children deserve to be treated with love and respect. When I was in second grade, I was the outcast of my grade. I didn't have friends, I wasn't invited to parties, or anything like that. That year, I had a teacher who was so kind to me. She was one of the only teachers who treated me like I was worth more than a test, more than a grade. As a student I appreciated those teachers. The ones who cared about me as a person and not just a student. When I started the teaching program at school, it wasn't to become a teacher. It was actually to better understand how the kids who struggle at home, acted in the classroom. You see, I wanted to be a children's therapist. I wanted to be there person who helped kids know how to feel and how to express it the properly way. However, that quickly changed when I stepped foot into a classroom, and I taught my first solo lesson. I learned that being a teacher is far more than a curriculum out of a book. You see, children are like freshly planted seeds. And the teachers job is to water those seeds so they grow into these beautiful flowers. I want to pursue my career in education because I know that's where I belong. I want to make sure every kid I teach, that I make a positive impact on them. I want all my students to feel as if they're special. That they mean something in this world. I want to teach kids how to do math, and how to read. Because when their face lights up, after they finally understand something they've been struggling with. That is just the best feeling imaginable to me. I want to be the teacher that leaves a positive mark in the world. I might not be the best when I first start, but I just know I'm going to be great. As a future teacher, my only goal is to be the best I can be. It's to make sure no student feels out of place in my class. My dream is to make sure all these students have what they need in order to go to the next grade. I can say it time and time again until someone's ear falls off, but I know from the bottom of my heart, being in the classroom with students, is where I belong. It's my purpose.

When I was in he second grade a teacher was so kind to me. I had no friends, I was known as the "weird" kid. My dad was a single father straight out of the military. It wasn't easy at school. That's why this one teacher made second grade so memorable for me. She knew my dad and I struggled at home. She knew we didn't have a lot of money and sometimes she would buy me lunch when I didn't have lunch money. She would let me stay and hang out with her after school until my dad got there to pick me up. She did all these things for me, when she wasn't asked too. When I think of being a teacher I think of her and the type of teacher I want to be. I want to be the type of teacher students remember when they graduate. The one that was so caring and honest with her students, the one that teaches them everything they know when they go to the next grade. I want to be the teacher that motivates them to do better like Miss. Hennessy did for me. She was the most caring and generous teacher I've had to date. I still think of her when I intern. I think to myself "what would she do". I think about all the times she was there for me in ways I didn't even know about until a decade later. When I teach kids, I teach them how to do things on their own. I teach them how to figure things out and use context clues. Mainly because that's the curriculum. But partially because it's a valuable life lesson. A valuable life lesson Miss. Hennessy taught to me. When she was my teacher I remember her having bad days. I remember trying to help her in the way she helped me. Of course I couldn't do anything more than draw her a picture, but it's the thought that counted to both her and myself. I want my students to care about me that way. Maybe it won't happen right away, and maybe I won't be a great teacher right off the bat, but my favorite thing about teaching is the way we learn. We learn how to teach each and every student, we learn what teaching style is the best for ourselves. What I'm so excited about though, is the joy I know I'm going to feel when I can silently tell Miss. Hennessy I made it. When I can tell her I did this all because of her kindness and generosity to me when I was only 8 years olf. I just know she would be so proud of both myself and herself for that.

When I was younger I had to care for my siblings like a mother. I had to teach them al the things I knew. How to tie their shoes, how to wipe their butts, how to make their own cereal and the list goes on. What I learned from this was that teaching is a beautiful thing. Teachers water their students into this beautiful flower. Teachers help their students grow into the humans they will grow up to be one day. When I was teaching my siblings all the things a mother would teach her children, I quickly came accustomed to this life. I could have grew a hatred for teaching. Instead I say all the good it has. While teaching wasn't my first option, I realized it's what I was made to do. Kids these days sometimes don't have good, happy, stable homes. These kids who are "troubled" as some people would say, only need love and attention. Someone who will pour their heart out into them. I know deep down that is me. When I was an intern at Fannin Elementary, I grew to love all these little kids as if they were my brothers or sisters. I wanted to see them all succeed in life. I wanted all them to be happy and healthy kids. As a person I knew what I was doing was the best thing I could do for kids, and for myself. As a student teacher I knew that the classroom was where I belonged. When I was teaching my siblings it wasn't the easiest thing. I was an 8 year old girl without a clue in the world of how to raise kids. I learned though. One step at a time I got the hang of it. And when I finally did, it seemed fun, it was exciting, and challenging. When I realized this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life, I immediately took charge and figured out my next step. I want to be running my own classroom as soon as humanly possible. I want to help these kids learn new things and trust in the education system again. When all that does happen, I can thank myself and my biological mother. Because without her I might not have found my passion and love for education. I want to be one of the best teachers there is out there. Hopefully with the help of my family and the drive I have genetically I will make that happen.