The teaching profession is one of the most unique jobs. It is one of the few places that you have multiple jobs that come together as one. Each day is completely different from the day before. Teaching English brings it’s own uniqueness as well, and is a place where students can really express their creativity and learn skills that will truly help them in all facets of their lives as they continue to grow.

           Through talking with others, as well as my experiences in different schools and classrooms, I have seen that my role stretches way beyond teacher. I feel that great teachers embrace these roles, rather then see them as nuisance. I will be a police officer and guidance counselor, trying to settle disputes and the everyday drama of the middle and high school world. I will be their coach, supporting and trying to guide them in their extra-curricular activities. I will be their planner/organizer, reminding them of important dates and events that have nothing to do with the classroom. For some students, I will also be the only positive role-model they have to keep them on the right track. Hopefully, besides all of this, and the multiple other hats we wear as teachers, I want to be the type of teacher that inspires them in one way or another, to dance to their own beat, and follow their interests. If you are only going to be available to students to shove content in from 8-3, then I feel that you should have a different job. I embrace these roles, and I love teaching, because it allows you to influence others in a positive way, from multiple angles, if you are willing to take on the task at hand.

            Teaching isn’t always easy, and sometimes you really have to be creative with students in order to inspire them to learn. Teaching in the English classroom is sometimes like running up a hill. Running is truly a test of will. A person has to want to do something, make an effort, and they also have to realize how important it is to their life and well-being. When you are near the end of a run, and you finish on a large hill, you feel a sense of accomplishment, and somewhat un-like yourself. That feeling of hard-work, accomplishment, and true fulfillment is why you do it again and again. Through teaching English, I have the extreme responsibility to help students fell this same feeling about reading and writing. There are different abilities, and each student has to be guided and pushed a little differently to find their place just over the hill. Some students will come into my classroom, and not have read that one great book that makes them yearn for more great reading material. Or they may not have seen what a great tool the written word is in their life, and how it will affect all of their lives in some capacity later on. I feel that some students will be able to accomplish this with guidance, and they will reach that fulfilled and rewarding state. However, as their teacher, I will strive for them all to reach the top of their individual game.

            Each student is unique that comes into my classroom. I feel that a successful teacher is able to move all students in one way or another from the beginning of the year to the end. They won’t all move the same way, but they should grow throughout the year individually. “The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” ( Mark Van Doren) I feel that the skills learned in the English classroom greatly continue to help students grow as they move on after high school. The skills you can assist your students in discovering, can take them to places in their lives where they want to be. They can control their own destiny. Literature is like a map. It helps to show us where we have been, in order to plan our course to the future. Writing and media studies allow students to constantly reinvent new paths. If we have these skills, just like a compass, we can discover and express our new and unique perspective about something. Grammar and language allow students to respect themselves, and gain respect from the world around them. In a successful English classroom, these tools are fostered, and a great English teacher makes a student feel that they can go out on their own, and find their way in the outside world. Yes, they may lose their way. But, the tools will always allow them to get back on track. Hopefully, by teaching these skills, the students can make smart decision in and for the society and world around them.