I went to a wonderful workshop celebrating and encouraging blogging yesterday where I listened to George Couros speak. I am inspired to write this blogpost because of the question he left for us: Why did you become an educator? What legacy do you want to leave?
Why did I become an educator?
My easy but true answer to this is the standard, “because I love kids.” That was why I went into education but there is more to it. Teaching is fulfilling. Teaching touches on my definition of success. I don’t measure success by the size of my bank account or the make of the car I drive but by being able to touch and change another human being’s life. Teaching gives me a chance to do that everyday, (not that it happens every day, mind you, some days are better than others). I am given the chance to connect with children and help them set and achieve goals, find their passions and truly learn. When I die, I will be happy because I have been lucky enough to have had the chance to do what I love, work with children and make positive connections.
My easy but true answer to this is the standard, “because I love kids.” That was why I went into education but there is more to it. Teaching is fulfilling. Teaching touches on my definition of success. I don’t measure success by the size of my bank account or the make of the car I drive but by being able to touch and change another human being’s life. Teaching gives me a chance to do that everyday, (not that it happens every day, mind you, some days are better than others). I am given the chance to connect with children and help them set and achieve goals, find their passions and truly learn. When I die, I will be happy because I have been lucky enough to have had the chance to do what I love, work with children and make positive connections.
Another reason that I became an educator is because I had a positive experience as a student and I want to pass that along to my students. There are some teachers who stand out clearly in my mind because of how they influenced who I became. My grade five teacher, Mr. Dave Plottel, inspired me to become a teacher because he made learning fun. One of the projects he did was a form of digital storytelling way back in 1984. He had set up a camcorder at the back of his classroom that was used to create short animations. We created a cartoon flipbook on paper that we took still shots of and then turned into little animated cartoons. It was soooo cool for a 10 year old. We were taught in an “open area” where he and a grade 4 teacher team taught our two classes. He was amazing, so ahead of his time and he is one of the reasons I became an educator.
The last but most important reason I became an educator is because my parents valued education and instilled in me a love of education. My mother has less than a grade four education, my father left school at 13 to help with the family farm and my grandparents didn’t even go to school themselves but they valued education as a way to a better life. Being immigrants and not strong English speakers they relied on me to be their translator throughout my childhood. Despite this, they attended every parent teacher conference even though I had to translate what my teacher was saying. (Hmm….the opportunities I had to embellish the truth…) I am hoping that I can pass on this love of education to my own children.
What legacy do I want to leave?
That is simple: For my students and others around me to love learning, to stay curious and be courageous enough to find the answers to the questions that they ask. 
