Ellen Nichole Leggins
Philosophy of Teaching
As I get closer to the finish line of college, I am left feeling like thus far I have made one of the best decisions of my life. Making life altering decisions has never been one of my stronger points, because I'm always looking for someone else to make the decision for me. However, when it came down to the time when I needed to choose what I should study, there were no other choices for me except education.
In retrospect, my parents had a lot to do with how I view education. My mother and father both pushed their children to strive in school, knowing that they might perhaps light a spark in one of us, causing the fire and passion of learning to ignite. School was a place where we were able to fuel this fire for learning, one that I believe will be with me for the rest of my life. School was a sacred place, where my sister and I could leave our parents' bitter divorce at the front door and could enter a world of unimaginable knowledge that wasn't possible anywhere else. Being thrown into various schools was always very difficult, but having a teacher who cared about getting to know us helped to ease the hurt of being tossed around like a ping-pong ball between our two homes. As a teacher, I want to try and make every child in my room know that I'm in their corner, rooting for them to beat the odds and hardships in their lives.
Being the child of a kindergarten teacher, education is something that I've known all of my life. Our house is constantly stirring with the issues that affect education from a personal to a national level. When a state pay raise could occur, we heard about it. Or if a national issue in education had finally made its way to the back door of my small hometown, we knew it was there. I was also able to get to know my mother's fellow teachers outside of the classroom because they are always coming over to visit, whether for social or agenda reasons. Teaching can instigate some of the closest friendships, because of the social interaction that goes on inside the school building. Many of my own friends in growing up are the children of teachers.
Seeing teachers outside of school has always been fun for me, even as a young child. I remember many instances where my teacher would come over to a meeting my mom was having, and I would be so blown away because I was able to see my own teacher outside of school. This was the thing that took my breath away. Ms. Jacobs didn't live at school, neither did Mr. Timberlake, Miss Kirpatrick, or Mrs. Bass. When a child sees a teacher outside of school, it's just one of the most thrilling things they can experience. Here's a superhero who has to go to the grocery store or the car wash just like any other person would. It was just so amazing to me at an early age that my teachers were real people, too, just like my mom.
One of the most influential people in my life was Mr. Leery, who in eighth grade, had a very deep, personal conversation with me that I still carry with me to this day. Mr. Leery told me that he could see himself as a teenager in me. He told me that he was a quiet, studious, and shy kid who later in life found his voice as a teacher. He told me that he felt I had the chance to be a great teacher, and ever since then, I've never doubted the educational profession when people have asked me about why I have wanted to become a teacher. Mr. Leery planted a seed of thought in my brain which has been nurtured through my experiences in the teaching profession.
A few of my most respected professors have told me that they think I have the makings of a great teacher, and I can see how their guidance has led me to my own individual convictions as a future teacher and what I feel is important as a teacher. Just knowing that I have someone who believes in me has given me the best gift I could have needed, confidence.
As a teacher, I want to pass that gift along to my students. I want my elementary students to see how excited it makes me when they are able to achieve something that they didn't think was possible. I also want them to take away a sense of pride, comfort, love, whatever they might be lacking, even if they or I don't know exactly what that might be at the time. More often than not, we are able to touch a life everyday in the classroom, not just by writing on the board and teaching out of a textbook. Teachers might be poorly paid, overworked, taken for granted, and socially rejected, however the world could not be able to survive without them. Someone once said the truest words that I've ever heard, "Teaching is the profession that makes all other professions possible." While many people don't believe this, myself and the million other future educators who do are eagerly awaiting the passing of the chalk and our chance to give back to those before us.