02/21/2018
Lafayette Parish is joining the Be A Teacher LA campaign. Here is what one of our teachers had to say about her rewarding career.
When I was a little girl, I used to “play school” all of the time. I had a chalkboard, a roll book, and baby dolls who would sit still in anticipation of the lessons I would teach. As I got a little older,
those baby dolls were replaced with my brother and my friends.
However when it was time for me to graduate from high school and go off to college, my little girl dreams were nothing but memories, and teaching was the last thing I wanted to do. I went off to pursue a degree in Vocal Performance and thought I would never look back. Anytime anyone asked me if I was going to be a teacher like my mom, I would say “Absolutely not; teaching is not for me!” I was adamant that I would not become a teacher.
At the end of my freshman year of college, something changed. I was rehearsing for a musical that I was in and spent hours hanging out with the others who were also in the musical. I began to realize that something was missing in my life. Through talking with a good friend about the fact that I just was not happy with where I was going in my life, I ended up accepting Jesus. At that moment, I knew that I could not run from my calling as a teacher anymore. I knew that Jesus put me on this earth to teach. After a year of focusing on my major of Vocal Performance and taking just about all music related classes, I switched my major to education. I finally felt free and at home in this new degree field.
Having been a teacher for over 13 years now, I am beyond thrilled to call this my profession. To me, teaching is the most rewarding profession out there. Each year we get brand new classes full of students who are wide-eyed and filled with expectation of what we have planned for them. Yes,
there are some kids who maybe aren’t as eager about the new school year, but with the right amount of care and devotion to those kids; teachers can get them on their side. We get to help mold students to hopefully become lifelong learners and contributing members of society. I mean, what other job can say that? Not only do we get to teach kids, we get to mentor them, guide them through tough times, be a shoulder to cry on and have fun with them all at the same time! Oh my gosh do we
have fun as teachers!
Teaching is definitely a profession that I feel people must be called to do. It is not for everyone but it so rewarding for those who choose to answer that call. Teaching has gripped my
heart from the beginning and has gotten better with each passing year. If you have that calling or
desire to teach, then
