Photo CC by J J
I believe that no matter how prepared I am when I go out into the world of teaching, I will never be prepared enough. I can learn every pedagogical theory in existence, learn by heart the standards of every state, read every classic novel twice, and still not be prepared for my first day of class. And it won’t just be the first day. Or the second. Or the third. I could teach for 100 years and still find out every day that what I once did could have been done better or that what I used to think I knew is no longer true. I could spend weeks preparing a lesson plan and then, for completely unforeseen causes, have it fall flatter than a sheet of notebook paper.
But this is also why I believe I will love to teach.
I love improving. I love the challenge of never having the same day twice – of never having the same class period twice! I will never fully be prepared to teach. But that is precisely why it will be so much fun.
I believe that I could read the same book every day for a lifetime and still learn something new. I believe that reading connects. Books are bound trophies of knowledge, creativity, and whimsy. It’s more than just a collection of pages held together by stale glue. Books have something to say.
I believe that writing is a difficult art. Anyone can poke at a keyboard or twirl around a pen. But it takes heart to write; that is why books have something to say. I believe that in order to help my students create a piece of writing that they feel has something to say, I need to first show them what a writer looks like and show them what a long process writing is. Writing is difficult; it is much easier to give up on a difficult task than to see it through. I also understand, however, how wonderful it feels to see it through.
shannonhorn 
I couldn’t agree with you more! There is never a time of the day as to where I don’t learn something new. I’ve been employed with corrections for 8 years now and still to this day, I learning something new. That’s the beauty of work, we are always learning and adapting to new things around us. Especially as teachers, we have to have the ability to adapt within or classrooms in hopes to provide an optimal learning environment for our youth. Great post!
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Word for word I love what you had to say! Not knowing what each day brings is what makes each day so exciting and yet terrifying. I think with that attitude you will be a great educator! Good Luck!
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When I’ve had a teacher in their last period for the day and it was the 6th time they taught the same lesson, I’ve heard them say such negative things about h0w monotonous teaching is. Maybe after teaching for 40 years I’ll feel differently, but I think you choose to make your day monotonous!
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Thank you 🙂 I can’t wait to have a classroom full of crazy!
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This is what I love about teaching too: it’s always different, it’s usually unpredictable, it requires a lot of flexibility to do well, and it’s never boring. Well, if it’s boring that’s usually my fault! Although I tend to be a planner and a control freak, in my classroom I give myself the space to improvise and play.
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I love being spur-of-the-moment. It’s nice to have a solid plan, and I understand the comfort of it, but I think improvising at a moment’s notice will be one of my favorite aspects of teaching.
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