passion of teaching essay

Learning is for Life

Why Passion is Important for Effective Teaching

By passion I mean a powerfully strong emotion that one struggles to contain, and others clearly see and feel. In a compact ebook I recently published “7 Most Important Characteristics of an Excellent Instructor Based on Learning Science,” I express the significance of passion as being part of the important characteristic of being personable as well as tying in with the characteristic of being motivational (Anders, 2020). While it does fully belong to both of those aspects, passion is so much more.  

Researchers Crosswell and Elliot (2004) have looked at instructors’ “passion” for teaching as an important variable in teacher commitment and engagement. Their findings led them to state “Given the core role that ‘passion’ appears to play in conceptions of teacher commitment it is reasonable to assume that any reforms deemed desirable by schools and systems are only likely to be successful if such reforms are interpreted for teachers in a way that relates to their passions” (Crosswell & Elliot, 2004, p. 11). This holds true in observations of instructors and students from international academics as well (Mart, 2013). I would agree that one’s passion for teaching would lead one to be more committed and therefore be more motivated to teach, but what about the effect it has on students and learning.

Research has shown that teachers’ passion has a direct influence on students’ passion which then affects students’ motivation and achievement (Gilal, Channa, Gilal, Gilal, & Shah, 2019). These benefits, as well as improved student and teacher persistence, hold true both in online instruction and face-to-face modalities (Greenberger, 2016). Teachers that are passionate about what they are doing express enthusiasm and give off a special type of energy that students pick up on, it is a contagious type of positiveness.

In addition to how being passionate in the classroom makes us more personable, Dr. Robert Fried (noted research author) expresses another important aspect, “The greatest value of our passionate concerns is that they invite students to feel emotionally alive in our presence” (2001, p. 27). It’s also interesting when we realize that “passionate” and “compassionate” sound so similar and in reality are very analogous when it comes to our interaction with students.

A great example of the value and importance of being a passionate teacher comes from Joe Ruhl’s popular (2 million views) TEDx inspirational video entitled “Teaching Methods for Inspiring the Students of the Future” (TEDx Talks, 2015). It is very much worth watching:

One more great quote from Dr. Robert Fried excellent book, “The passionate teacher: A practical guide”

As teachers, we have only our passions to guard against students’ inclination to find things adults care about boring and not worth remembering or putting to use. But it is not enough to focus on our passionate interests. We must show our students what it means to be passionate learners as well. Fried, 2001, p. 25

What are your thoughts on the importance of passion for teaching and learning?

Anders, B. (2020). 7 Most Important Characteristics of an Excellent Instructor Based on Learning Science . Emporia, KS: Sovorel Publishing.

Crosswell, L. J., & Elliott, R. G. (2004). Committed teachers, passionate teachers: The dimension of passion associated with teacher commitment and engagement. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, November 28 – December 2, 2004. Melbourne, Australia.

Fried, R. L. (2001). The passionate teacher: A practical guide . Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

Gilal, F. G., Channa, N. A., Gilal, N. G., Gilal, R. G., & Shah, S. M. M. (2019). Association between a teacher’s work passion and a student’s work passion: a moderated mediation model. Psychology Research and Behavior Management , 12 , 889.

Greenberger, S. (2016). A comparison of passion and teaching modality. Journal of Educators Online, 13 (1), 172-193.

Mart, C. T. (2013). A passionate teacher: Teacher commitment and dedication to student learning. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 2 (1), 437-442.

TEDx Talks. (2015). Teaching methods for inspiring the students of the future | Joe Ruhl | TEDxLafayette . [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCFg9bcW7Bk

I totally agree. Thank you for that comment and source.

Passion in teaching and learning is extremely important.in that it can create and nurture the students desire to learn because the teacher’s enthusiasm and commitment in delivery will trigger the students’ minds to accepting learning as something readily possible.

I really mean that the teacher’s enthusiasm and commitment in teaching will invariably create a reciprocal commitment in the student for learning.

I thought enthusiasm is the father of excellence. Then I knew passion. In this article I learnt passion in teaching. Now today passion in learning. Three Cheers!

Yes, passion plays a big role and it all ties in with motivation! Thank you for your comment.

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How Passionate Teaching Can Inspire Students

Article Summary

• Public Agenda’s study found that 43 percent of college dropouts claimed they had to take too many classes they didn’t consider useful.|Effective learning starts with learner relevance, and every subject can prove valuable once a student sees a connection between the content and their life.|By simply highlighting students’ progress with recognition, rewards and encouragement throughout the semester, instructors add meaning beyond learning the subject matter. |When students start to see the benefits that come from doing well in class, instructors can start to connect in-class achievements with constructive feedback that can be used on campus and in the workplace.
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Understand Where Passion Starts

Without a passion for learning, students can lose focus and interest in completing your course—or worse, their education. A 2009 study by Public Agenda found that 45 percent of recent college dropouts listed boredom as a reason they decided to leave.

The good news: Your excitement can be contagious! Expressing your passion for teaching or the subject you teach , can grab your students’ attention and drive engagement.

“Love what you teach, and they will love it too.”   -Sandra Scheier, Psychology Instructor at Kennesaw State University

Research links passionate teaching directly to a student’s willingness to learn and experience new ideas. But to incorporate passion into your teaching, you must understand where it begins.

Start by reflecting on the moments that led to your career as an educator. What reeled you into the idea of teaching and drew you to your field of study? Ask yourself what you liked or disliked at first, and why you felt that way. Acknowledge important mentors you met along the way, taking time to consider what made their input so impactful. Recollect the moments where things started to come together, and you finally felt you had found your passion. Remember the excitement—because it’s that enthusiasm that can guide your students towards a meaningful career path. Your love for teaching the subject you teach, can reach students through the energy you show in class, and give students the fuel to stay the course.

“Show your passion for what you love to do. The more excited you are, the more excited your students will be.”   -Terry Weideman, Nutrition Instructor at Oakland Community College

Harness the Power of Your Students’ Curiosity

Passion begins when students explore their curiosity, but first, they must determine if the area is worthy of their time. Public Agenda’s study found that 43 percent of college dropouts claimed they had to take too many classes they didn’t consider useful. Although common, this assumption doesn’t have to seal your course’s fate. Any subject can prove useful —but getting your students to connect with the content starts with how you present the information. When challenged with students who don’t have a primary interest in your discipline, remember that every student can benefit from passion-based learning —and there are ways to link your course to their interests and skills.

Effective learning starts with learner relevance , and every subject can prove valuable once a student sees a connection between the content and their life. A musician can become a better songwriter from an English course. An athlete can perform better on the field after learning how to take care of their body in a Nutrition class. A Criminal Justice major can learn about human behavior from a Psychology professor—applying this knowledge when working on a case. Anyone can apply Accounting knowledge to spending money in the real world.

Linking concepts to local cases, current issues, news and events—especially those that impact your students—is another way to make your course more relatable and learner-centric. Constantly updating your material is key to keeping concepts fresh for students and applicable to their every-day lives.

“Show the relevance of the subject matter and make it fun and meaningful! My excitement for what I teach is obvious, and my students can see it and feel it. I believe in what I teach.”   -Sandy Keeter, Computing Professor at Seminole State College

When curiosity turns into interest, students become invested in what they’re learning and pay closer attention—processing information more effectively while developing learning strategies that make course concepts stick. Interest keeps students focused, working harder and longer and enables them to stack new knowledge upon old knowledge. The best way for a student to discover areas of strength is to delve into physical, intellectual and creative activities outside their comfort zone. The more they try, the more opportunities they’ll have to discover their passion.

You can also take it outside of the classroom, pairing students with help centers, colleagues and any other resources that align with their interests. If they’re having trouble identifying interest areas, guide them towards the multitude of personality tests and career quizzes available online.

Lead with Real-Life Examples

Authentic experiences are meant to be shared and learned from—because they make a lasting impression on students while sparking self-reflection. A study of 257 professional musicians found the most important characteristics of their first teachers were the ability to communicate well—to be friendly, chatty and encouraging—and the capacity to pass on their love of music through modeling and playing well.

Think of a moment in your career that you’ll never forget, then consider what made it so meaningful. Not every student will share your passion, but by sharing honest anecdotes from your own life, you’ll inspire conversation and query. Real experience includes success and failure, so sharing triumphs and mistakes offers lessons students can apply long after graduation.

“I’m genuinely in love with my profession: being a social worker is not just a job but a commitment to making the world a better place, and that’s at the core of who I am. I share that with my students. I give them the good and the bad: I don’t sugarcoat what I’ve experienced in this field, and students respond positively to this authenticity. I ask my students to dig deep as to why they chose this field, and what inspires them. The work we do in the classroom will give structure and understanding to what happens in the field, and I am constantly drawing parallels between the two.”   – Renee Rawcliffe, Social Work Instructor at Simmons College

Add Significance to Success

You’re challenged with helping every student—including difficult or uninterested students—because all students have something to offer, and something to gain from your course. To reach everyone—majors and non-majors, students required to take your course and those who’ve enrolled just for fun—focus on the positive outcomes that can be achieved from success in your class.

By simply highlighting students’ progress with recognition, rewards and encouragement throughout the semester, instructors add meaning beyond learning the subject matter. Use students’ breakthroughs, high scores on homework and exams, leadership skills displayed in class or group projects, extra credit work or in-class competitions to call-out your students’ wins to make learning the curriculum a positive experience. Honoring students’ achievements will get them excited to come to class and eager to participate. The more students partake in class—the more they’ll learn about course concepts—building and improving upon their critical thinking skills.

When students start to see the benefits that come from doing well in class, instructors can start to connect in-class achievements with constructive feedback that can be used on campus and in the workplace.

“I try to share multiple ways that the course content can be applied in a career setting. I also share examples of how I used the course content in my career before teaching and how I use the content now in a teaching role. I tell students to add this content to your toolbox because you never know when you might need it.”   – Donna Sue Shellman, Medical Office Administration Instructor at Gaston College

Encourage today’s learners by sharing what has inspired you throughout your profession. Showcasing your passion through teaching will connect students to the course material, stimulate their engagement and drive their achievements in class—and eventually a career.

Looking for more ways to boost student engagement in your course? Explore more faculty strategies in our free student engagement handbook .

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•   Friday, September 13, 2024

Future Educators

Helping America's Future Teachers

I Want to Become a Teacher Because | My Dream Job Essay

My dream is to become a teacher . If you have this dream, you’re not alone. Here’s a collection of short essays by aspiring teachers. Current and future education students were asked to describe their motivation; what inspires them to succeed at their teacher training studies.

In these 31 student essays, future educators answer the question “I want to become a teacher because …” or “I want to become a teacher to …”. The short student essays are grouped thematically, forming the top reasons to become a teacher.

1. Giving Brings Its Own Rewards

Helping people is the unifying theme as to why students are inspired and motivated to become teachers. Education is a field where you can help young people directly in a personal way; potentially changing their lives for the better. Teaching is more than just a job.

For a significant percentage of education students, the opportunity to be of service provides plenty of motivation to pursue a teaching career. In each Why I Want to Become a Teacher essay here, a future educator explains why teaching is an opportunity to do something meaningful and beneficial.

by Hanna Halliar

If I can make an impact in just one child’s life, I will be able to consider myself successful. That is my motivation. As a future educator, what else would it be?

Every day that is spent in class, the late nights at the library, the endless hours of studying are all just steps getting me closer to the goal. When I am still up at 1 a.m. struggling to keep my eyes open, but only half way through my 6 page paper I remember how excited I am to work with my own students one day.

To me, being a teacher is so much more than the typical response most people have towards education majors. “Oh, you’re going to be a teacher. You know how much you will make?” Yes, I’m aware that I will be making an average of $50,000 a year in Indiana.

To me being a teacher means that I get the opportunity to not only teach my students math, English, and science but to teach life lessons that will stick with them as well.  It means walking into school every day being the reason my students look forward to coming to school. It means being surrounded by crafts, books, and music and not being stuck in an office. It means educating our future generation. And if somebody has to do it, it should be somebody who is passionate about it.

So what motivates me to study? It is so simple, it is the kids.

by Savannah Stamates

I lay awake at night and practice my first morning message to my first round of students whom I will not meet for more than a year.

I wonder if I will have hungry children, happy children, or broken children. I wonder if I will be good enough or strong enough to reach those most in need.  I wonder if my students will trust me enough to tell me that they are hungry, happy, or scared.

I worry that I will not be strong enough to share their burden or provide a place for peace and learning. I worry that I will misread their actions or their words or miss them reaching out.

So I study, even when I am tired from working two jobs or sick of not being where I want to be. When my time comes to walk into that classroom, my worries and doubts will be silenced by the knowledge I have mastered and the dream I have finally achieved.

by Charity Latchman

Dreams for the future are subjective. They can be based on what we desire. But visionary dreams are not only for us. Imagine asking some of the greatest revolutionaries and pioneers about their dreams. They generally had others in mind. In the famous “I have a Dream” speech, Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr said “we” more than thirty times. Dreams are not for our benefit alone, but to encourage, inspire and benefit others.

Recently I graduated from California Baptist University with a degree in English literature. During my studies, I was cared for my disabled mother. She was a religious studies professor who inculcated me with a diligent and steadfast approach to schoolwork. Managing the role of caregiver with university studies was challenging. But the goal to become a teacher kept me going. Approaching graduation, my mother was diagnosed with throat cancer. She didn’t worry about herself as much as you might expect but kept pushing me to finish the final paper in the program.

With her encouragement, my faith, and a burning desire to teach English literature, I graduated. My motivation comes from wanting to help, to encourage, and to inspire others.  Teaching is an act of giving that has its own rewards.  Life’s trials bring ups and downs. But we must always strive to attain our dreams, especially when others are central to them.

by Katheryn England

As a high school senior, many people assume I’m prepared for college and know what I want to study after graduation. These assumptions cause me to experience moments of self-doubt. Then I re-evaluate what I want for myself, and what it is that keeps me working towards my dreams. Through the goals I’ve set for myself, I can maintain focus, move past my self-doubt and succeed. By focusing on my goals, I can make a difference in the world directly around me.

A goal I have in my life is to be an elementary teacher, also known as an early childhood teacher. As a teacher,  I can share the knowledge I’ve gained to leave behind a better future for our world .

Last year, I had the opportunity to work alongside a previous elementary teacher and mentor of mine. I’d visit her classroom daily, and taught lessons alongside her or independently. Uniquely, they were the opening act in my high school’s original winter play. They read first-hand from our scripts and learned what happens behind the scenes. Showing a new part of the world to the youth of my community has motivated me to pursue my dreams.

Remembering this experience and the positive influence I had on those students helps me overcome self-doubt and stay focused on my goals. Thanks to the goals I’ve set for my life, I not only can find purpose for my efforts, but find the will to be confident in whatever choices I make.

by Emma Lillard-Geiser

I have always known that I would become two things: a mother and a teacher. What I didn’t know is that I would become the mother before the teacher. Having a child that depends on me is what fuels my desire to succeed in life. When I get frustrated with my studies I take a deep breath, look at my daughter, and know that I have reason to persevere. I know that one hour of studying will give me hours with my daughter as soon as I am done.

My mother is a teacher and growing up I cherished learning from her. She had knowledge that I admired and I quickly realized that I had to spend my whole life learning. I love to learn, to have that light go off in my head when it all just clicks.

I cannot wait to see that light in the eyes of my daughter and my future students.  For every thing that I learn, is another thing I can teach someone else.  It isn’t easy to study when you have a small child to take care of but I know that my education will provide me with the ability to take care of her for the rest of our lives.

2. Help Disadvantaged Students

Students are disadvantaged for many reasons, whether it’s because of a handicap, where they live, economic disadvantage or a language barrier.

Future educators may want to become teachers so they can make a difference in the lives of students who face extra learning challenges. This special interest often comes from the future teacher’s own experience, either personally or involving people they’ve known.

by Ian T Thomason

While attending the University of Minnesota-Mankato, I have aspirations of becoming a Special Education Teacher. Becoming a Special Education Teacher and helping students who have a need for extra help and students who are having troubles with everyday life are things that I dream of doing.  I was in their shoes once and know how difficult it is to deal with everyday life and how nice it was have a teacher to talk to.

Becoming a Special Education Teacher is my ultimate goal and, when difficult times arise, I have to remind myself of the children out there who have it potentially worse than I. When I remember this, I also think back to all of the support that I had from my parents, family members, and teachers. I also know that there are lots of children who don’t have this type of support and, if I can be there for them, that would make my career choice all the more worth it.

My Special Education degree is something more than just a degree for me. It is a degree that allows me to help children improve their education. I realize that children are our future and that their minds are terrible things to waste. So, instead of wasting their minds, why not put our best foot forward to educate them? My dream is to help kids realize their full potential, promote education and a brighter future for every child.

by Katherine

Motivation allows you to persist through difficult circumstances. Mine comes from a desire to grow into an instructor who is able to make a difference to many children’s lives.

In elementary school, I actually was a special education student. I’ve had to work hard most days of my life to achieve anything. I could not have succeeded without the support of some absolutely amazing teachers. Now I desire to take on that supporting role for as many students as I can reach.

When a class or an assignment I don’t want to do come up, I think of what motivates me. And the motivation is children. Many students feel powerless about their education, just like I did.  I could be a teacher who turns their education around, providing vital support and motivation to succeed at their studies.  Ultimately, everyone motivates themselves by one way or another. My motivation comes from the pure desire to help future students.

by Robbie Watson

My road to graduate school has been a long one. I studied religion and culture in undergrad, interested in the material, yet not sure how I would apply it later. Yet I found places, got involved in community and international development, engaged with different cultures, and now feel I use my degree every day.

For over two years I worked alongside Congolese refugees in Rwanda, developing educational opportunities for youths who could not finish secondary school in the underfunded camps. It is these refugees, young and old, the students, the teachers, their passion and vision for a better future that has driven me to seek out more education for myself. I remember how they would pay from their families’ meager funds to attend classes led by volunteer teachers. When finances were against them, or time, or family obligations, or the dire depression of the camp life itself, or even government officials were against them, still those students attended, still those teachers taught.

It is their example of perseverance towards a goal against all odds that inspires me now. I think of them often, think of the friends they were, are still. And I think of how that passion is in me now, to better understand education so that I might better educate, and thus equip such downtrodden communities to work for transformation themselves. I work not only for myself, and am motivated by the potential in those students and educators, which is also in me, and in others like them.

by Natalie Pelayo

I’m a young Latino woman working towards the goal of earning a bachelor degree in bilingual education. On occasions, I feel a slowing in my motivation. But, every time it happens, I think about the goal and that pushes me to move forward.

Looking back to a middle school class I attended, there was a boy who never really participated. He sat in his hoodie, looking down to his desk. Only after trying to talk with him, I discovered he spoke with broken English and a thick Spanish accent. It seemed as if no-one in our class actually knew that he struggled to understand what was being taught because it was presented in English.

By his manner, it was apparent that he had already accepted a dismal fate. Past teachers may have been unable to communicate with him. Eventually, he’d become demoralized.  Thinking about the disadvantages he had to endure provides ongoing motivation to study hard.

I aim to become a bilingual elementary school teacher to support young Spanish-speaking children. As a teacher, I’ll be able to show them that they can succeed. Children need not grow up thinking they’re incapable of learning due to a language barrier. I’ll keep working towards my goal to help ensure teaching is inclusive of all children, no matter their first language.

by Abigail Young

I am an American citizen, but my whole life I have lived in Cameroon, Africa. I have been blessed with an enormous amount of opportunities and a great education at a private international school.

Every day I have seen children and teenagers around me who do not get the same education or have the same possibilities of a “bright” future. I see schools that are forced to have three children share a small table, paper, and pens. I have seen a badly lit room with poor roofs and walls made from bricks. Even in my school there are numerous Cameroonians, my friends, and classmates that do not have the same chances at a higher level education, although they work just as hard.

When I study, I study hard because I do not want to let this chance and opportunity go to waste. I study because I have been undeservedly blessed to be able to go the United States for a high education with better chances at getting scholarship money. I study my hardest because  it is my dream that I may come back and make a difference in countries like Africa with poor education systems . It should be a right for children to be able to learn like I have. Therefore, because of this mindset, I am driven to study not just out of thankfulness for my circumstances, but also in hope that I may be able to give other children a better chance, and a greater reason to study.

3. Helping Many People Is Achievable in Teaching

A powerful source of motivation for some education students is the potential to touch and positively impact the lives of many people. Education is a field of consequence and that’s a good reason for wanting to join the teaching profession.

Over the course of a long career, a classroom teacher may help shape the learning experience of hundreds or even thousands of students. In policy roles, educators can affect millions of people.

by Rachel Bayly

Through high school I worked as a teacher at a daycare. When I left for college I said goodbye to a lot of people, including my students. All summer I had woken up at five in the morning to go to work and wait for them to arrive and put a smile on my face. Those kids motivated me to keep waking up and working hard, and leaving them was not easy.

The thing that made that goodbye worth it, the reason that I keep pushing through this tying chapter of my life is that  I am determined to improve early childhood education in the United States .

I want to be a positive force in the lives of as many children as I possibly can, and I plan on doing that by improving standards and policies for early childhood education and making it more affordable.

Every week I write in my planner, “I will make a difference” and one way that I will change the lives of children and families. On days that I find myself asking, “why am I here?” “why am I going into debt, paying to be stressed out all the time?” I think of my students. I read my “I will make a difference” statements.

I remember that some children out there are stuck in low quality child care centers, they will never reach their full potential, and they need help. I keep working hard everyday so that I can help those children.

by Megan Burns

My ultimate goal is to change the lives of people. Studying to be a teacher is hard. All of the classes that are required, all of the practicums, and all of the time spent just to become a teacher is stressful, but the thought of being able to help just one person changes everything.

It takes one person to be a light in someone’s life. It take one person to be a helping hand. It takes one person to change an unmotivated, broken life, and make it brand new. Qualified teachers are those people.  We motivate students to do their best, we guide students to success when no one else will, and we are always available to listen.  One teacher can change the lives of thousands of students. That is my motivation.

I know that after college, I will be a teacher, a guider, a counselor, and a friend to so many students. No matter how many bad days I have or how many times I want to quit, I just think of what is to come in the future. I can be that change this world needs, even if its in a small high school classroom. It just takes one person.

by Victoria Shoemkaer

My dream is to make a difference in the life of children.

• To make them excited about learning.
• To make it fun the way it used to be when they were younger.
• To show them that someone cares about them and wants to see them succeed.
• To show that they are much more that a test score or a number.
• To believe in them so much, that I do not let them get discouraged from chasing their dreams.
• To showing them that everyone fails and it’s your recovery that determines what happens next.
• To sacrifice myself to gives them more opportunities for success.
• To encourage students to succeed in and out of the classroom for the betterment of themselves and the community.
• To inspire them to change the world, because they can.
• To help them transform into caring and compassionate adults who are ready to conquer the word, but remember where they came from.
• To teach them to do good in the world because anyone can accomplish doing well.

Most importantly, my dream is to make children feel like their voice is important and valued and that they are loved more than they know.

4. Lives Can Be Improved by Dedicated Instructors

Teaching a subject such as Math or English is the everyday task of a teacher. But our prospective teachers see a greater purpose in their training and career path.

The daily motivation to teach doesn’t come from the superficial advantages of a teaching career, such as great job security or extra vacation time. Here are stories by future educators who want to go beyond the curriculum and improve people’s lives all round.

by Savannah Luree Weverka

Teachers are the ones who ignited my love for learning and there is not a day that goes by when I do not challenge myself to a personal goal of lifelong learning.

My mother is a teacher, so I was a student educated in an institution filled with support and a home that also supported education. I recall many teacher “get-togethers” and Husker parties where an informal invitation led to my presence.

Due to all of this support and interaction received throughout my elementary and high school career, Elementary Education continues to be at the top of my career choices. And now, as a senior looking forward to graduating from high school,  teachers remain my role models .

In considering a focus in Elementary Education, I now realize that many teachers not only teach children eight hours of the day, but become doctors for scraped knees, dictionaries for challenging words, mediators between students, and parents away from home.

Now, as I am taking the steps to make my dream come true I hope to make school an escape to free their minds and expand their knowledge. I want to share my love of learning with my students.

by Aaron Banta

Since I was younger, I have had the dream of becoming a history teacher at the high school level. The reason I am striving for this career is thanks to a teacher I had.  They held such a passion for history and taught it so well that it made me want to keep learning everything I could about it.

In college, I have had to work multiple jobs and attend school full-time. I would wake up early in the morning and not get home until late at night. The one thing that kept me on top of my studying and work was the dream I have; to be able to teach history and express my love for it by teaching the next generation. I strive to impact their lives for the better just like mine was.

Being able to pass my courses and get a degree and teaching credentials is the first main goal I am striving for. But being able to have a positive impact on students I have will be an even greater goal that I want to accomplish. I am hoping to guide them through their study of my favorite subject so I can teach them about the world and help them just like my teacher had helped me.

by Chelsea Rogers

At USC Upstate, I am studying to be a Secondary Education Mathematics teacher. The math courses are not easy and the education courses pushes you to challenge yourself. The thought of being a future teacher is what motivates me to keep pushing.

Although I do not know any of my students, they are precious to me and I believe it is my job to change their lives for the better.  Teaching math is my job, but looking beyond my content and into the wellbeing of my students is my passion.

The question I always ask myself is how can I teach students who may not trust me? I have to establish a connection with each student so that they will see I care about them academically, physically, and emotionally. Once students see that you care about them in these areas, it becomes easier to teach them and they are willing to perform to the best of their ability because they know their teacher supports them 100 percent. Being a great teacher is what motivates me to continue striving for my degree.

by Micayla Watroba

One plus one is two. Phone is pronounced with an F sound. 60 divided by 15 is 4. An essay typically has five paragraphs. I know all these things because I went to school. I also had teachers that helped me understand it even when I didn’t get the same opportunities as everyone else.

See, when I was in first grade I was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia. This made school very hard. I was either out of school so often that I missed entire chapters or I was bullied so badly that I couldn’t focus because I was so scared. Having cancer also made it hard for my mom and dad to pay for food and rent much less after school activities and tutoring. I grew up knowing that there were some things that were just not in reach for us. 

For as bad as I had it, I can’t imagine having to live on the streets, going hungry, or even being taught in a language I don’t know.

My dream is to be the teacher that makes sure that every student gets an education that helps them succeed.  I want to make sure that my students not only enjoy being at school but feel safe while there.  My students will know that it doesn’t matter where they came from or what background they came from. I am going to be there and I will not leave them behind. This is my dream.

5. Promote Lifelong Learning in Young People

What inspires some people to become teachers is the power to set young people on the right education path. Helping children to have good early experiences and embrace the learning process can profoundly enhance someone’s life. The potential for transformative early development applies to handicapped and disadvantaged kids as much as anyone.

by Lesley Martinez-Silva

I aspire to make a difference in others’ lives through education. I’m studying to be an elementary school teacher because I believe that children can achieve so much more if they learn early of their potential.

Education has always been my priority. My parents always stressed the importance of obtaining an education, having missed that opportunity themselves. My parents taught me as a child that schooling was vital to success in life. Truly, that lesson has been the most important in my path to college. I don’t think I would’ve made it this far had I not taken my education seriously.

I want to teach others about the importance of education so they too can prosper.  Everything I’m learning at university is important for my future career and, if I don’t study it, I’m failing my future students. Every child deserves the best education available and I should strive to be the best educator possible to provide that for them. When balancing academics, work, and my social life, it can get challenging to keep going. But, with the future of children’s education in my hands, I always get back on track.

by Brianna Rivers

One of my goals is to become a teacher and work in an public elementary school within the greater Boston area (possibly my own elementary school). I want to be a teacher because I enjoy working with children and I know how important teachers are in children’s lives. I plan on receiving my Bachelor’s degree for Early Childhood Education and my Master’s degree in Special Education.

I want to major in Early Childhood Education because  early education is significant for children and is a building block for their future in learning . I also want to major in Special Education because I believe all children should receive equal learning opportunities as well as equal treatment (meaning an inclusive environment, etc).

I think all of my experiences have a positive impact on myself because I am learning more about what it takes to be a teacher and what it takes to be a good teacher. My experiences also have a positive impact on the children and adults I work with. I offer a helping hand to the teachers and a friendly face to the children.

I plan to continue to work hard and take advantage of learning opportunities to achieve both of my goals. Being a teacher is my desire and I will stop at nothing to be a great teacher one day.

by Jennamarie Moody

When I close my eyes, I picture myself in a school located in an urban setting, teaching a classroom of diverse yet alike students. These students are in the second grade, meaning that they are impressionable yet vulnerable to their environment whether this means at home, at school, or in their greater community.

Some of these students don’t speak English as their first language, and some come from low-income households that can limit their educational experiences outside of the classroom. And yet, no matter what differences these students bring to the table, their uniqueness flows throughout the classroom in such a positive energy that embraces, respects, and promotes learning. This is the goal I am working towards; the goal  to inspire our youth to become self-advocates for their learning .

Opportunities for equal educational experiences may not exist, however the beauty lies in the growth of love young students can develop as they are challenged in the classroom to question their surroundings. I plan to make a difference in the lives of the children I meet along the way, and to create a safe learning environment.

Although the tests for certification and studies can be difficult, my passion for education and dedication to shaping the lives of my students is what keeps me going. The end goal is to nurture the development of my students to become active and engaged participants in society, and that is what I intend to do completely.

by Julie Anderson

My long-time goal has been to become a teacher, and this year I’m in a class called Teachers for Tomorrow, where I get to shadow a kindergarten teacher. Working with her and the students has increased my interest in children with special needs.

From here on out, I want to support my students in academics and other parts of their lives so I can help them learn, grow, and succeed. I know that children need a strong start to their school career because the first few years of school are crucial; this is when students begin to love or hate learning itself. Whether or not children enjoy school, they deserve to appreciate learning. Students who love learning will always want to improve themselves.

I will make an effort to provide a loving environment where each child can prosper. However, for students with special needs, this task becomes even harder to accomplish because traditional classrooms are usually set up for non-disabled students.  While I know I can’t “save” every student I teach, and some of them will still hate learning, at least I can start them off right.

When I’m swamped with schoolwork, I will imagine my future students and how I could influence their lives. Even though not all of my college classes will relate to my major, forming a habit of working hard in college will help me to succeed as a future teacher.

6. Teachers Are Excellent Role Models

The experience of being helped and transformed by a good teacher leaves a lasting impression. Teaching is considered a noble profession for good reasons.

Some education students are motivated to become a teacher to emulate their own role models. They want to provide the same kind of service they once received. An added reason for pursuing a teaching career is to be a role model to younger people outside the classroom, including one’s own children.

by Teresa Pillifant

My first day – well, more like first semester- of my freshman year in high school was the hardest semester of my whole school career. Usually the kind of student who loves school, I found myself getting stomach aches in the morning and dreading school with my whole being. I was new to the school, and the number of students was overwhelming.

It seemed like there was no relief, except for my first hour Spanish class. Having no friends, I would always arrive at my first hour class early. As this pattern continued, my Spanish teacher and I developed a relationship. My teacher started giving me books to read, asking my opinion on what we should do in class and just talked to me in general about life. Through my teacher’s support, I grew to find my place in the school and became more confident.

Her kind words and actions inspired me to become a teacher myself.  Now, whenever school or life gets difficult, I think of my freshmen year Spanish teacher and how she inspired me. I want to do what she did for me for my future students. Whether it be a difficult test or a challenging class, my goal of making a difference in a student’s life keeps me going.

by Mo Cabiles

The world we live in is hard, unsteady and ruthless. We see this everyday in the harshness of homelessness, to social media screaming for justice. What motivates me to continue on is that I have felt the bitter cold bite of homelessness. I know what it’s like to not have enough to eat and to be scared of what will happen next.

I am fortunate to no longer be in those situations but that, by no means, is an indicator that it will all now come easy. As an adult learner and your “non-traditional” student, there are other obstacles I must overcome. From transportation to childcare or education application mastery to APA formatting, the many roadblocks I tackle both large and small are what I consider to be my victories.

I’ve seen what having a higher education can do for someone and I want that for myself and that of my daughters.  I strive to be a good example for them , to show them that, regardless of social standing and unforeseeable circumstances, if they work hard and put their best effort forward, they can achieve their dreams.

My dream is to obtain my Masters in Education with an emphasis in counseling. I want to be an academic advisor or guidance counselor. I’ve seen so many youths attempt community college and fail because they fell through the cracks. These students need to realize their potential and I want to help them achieve that and to be their cheerleader.

by Gia Sophia Sarris

In every school I’ve ever attended, experienced teachers were there to support and inspire me. I have looked up to these people ever since I was in elementary school, and they have had an immense and positive impact on my life and my view of the world.  My fondness for these people [educators] has led me to aspire to become a teacher.

I want to “pay it forward” and improve the lives of children and teenagers who grow up struggling as I did, or in any way for that matter. I want to make a difference in their lives and let them know that they are not alone with their problems.

This is what motivates me to study hard. Becoming a teacher, I believe, will help me fulfill my purpose in life, which I think is to create happiness and ease the burdens of others. I feel that children and teenagers need this especially, because they are struggling to understand the world and their place in it. I study hard for their sake.

by Jennifer Wolfert

From elementary school to my first year at college, I struggled to establish a dream for myself. Trying to figure out what career I wanted to pursue as successful adult always filled me with anxiety. I had spent multiple years in special education and left with a low academic self-esteem. So, after high school I attended Bucks County Community College in search for more time. Still I made no progress. Then I decided to change my outlook. I stopped asking “what do I want to do?” and started asking “who do I want to be?”. That’s when my dream took shape.

The educators that I met during my time at community college were my inspiration.  They are brilliant, hardworking people with a passion for their specialty that I had never seen before. Their belief in hard work was infectious. School began to fill me with excited anticipation and my grades improved. I started to believe that if I worked hard enough then I could be like them and inspire others like they had inspired me.

At the end of my second year attending community college, I accomplished a task that had previously racked me with fear. I applied to Temple University as a Secondary English Education major. I have now completed my second semester at Temple and earned my first 4.0 GPA. In time, I am confident that I will be able to accomplish my dream. I will become the passionate and inspiring educator that my younger self never had.

by Jenyfer Pegg

My entire life has been filled with discouragement. I grew up in a household where I was constantly told “No”. I was told my ideas were stupid and would not work. In my junior year of high school, my teachers and counselors started talking about college and sending in applications to different places. At that point, I knew I was not going. I came from a poor family and I knew we could never have money for something like college.

But I went on college visits, I listened to people speak about their college, and I was set. I had a lot of things pushing me, except the one thing I really wanted, my family. No one in my family has gone to college, and when I told my mother, she was shocked. She told me she just wanted me out of the house.

When I came to school, I realized I wanted to teach high school. I want to make an actual difference in someone else’s life. My family has taken the same road for years, and I’m not going down that road. I won’t live paycheck to paycheck like my mom, I will be a person that others will look up to.

I’m going to do something worthwhile, and I will work harder than anyone else if it gets me there.  I’ve seen what my life will be like without school and motivation and there is absolutely no way I’m going down that road. I’ve got bigger plans.

7. Unlock the Success Potential of Students

Educators want to help students in every way they can but, for some future teachers, the focus is on helping students soar. That child in front of you in the classroom might grow up to do great things for society, raise a strong family, or just be happy and fulfilled.

Whatever the potential of a pupil, a teacher’s job is to help unlock talents and remove any barriers to future success.

by Tamara Vega

The thing that motivates me the most is the thought of having my own classroom someday. I want to be the teacher that changes a child’s life, inspires them to set high goals for themselves and encourages them to reach it.

College can be so hard at times and I get really anxious and scared. I worry about not passing my classes and exams, I worry about not getting my degree. Despite that I do not give up because I have to do this and I want to do this.

I cannot see myself doing anything else besides teaching, I have never been this passionate about something. I want to graduate and get my degree. I’d love to look at it and say, “I worked hard for this and I earned it”.

The idea that the students in my classroom could grow up to cure cancer, or become president, pretty much anything they want, brings me so much excitement.   I want to be the teacher that they remember, the one who helped them realize their dream and who gave them the knowledge needed to reach it.

Be the teacher that I needed as a child but unfortunately never had. That is what gets me through all the stress and anxiety, I know in my heart that all the studying I’m doing right now will be worth it in the end.

by Nicole Gongora

The dream of success motivates me to study – not my success, my future students’ success. I push myself through the rough spots for them.

I was a lost child in high school; I didn’t know how to apply to college, let alone afford it. No child should have to experience that. As a future educator, I am committed to helping my students succeed, achieve more, and continue onto higher education.  Every child should be given the opportunity to showcase their strengths and follow their dreams.

College was never a dream for me; it was a far off, unattainable fantasy. I met some inspiring teachers in high school who encouraged me to change my life and who helped me to thrive. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I plan to work at a low-income school similar to the one I attended. These types of schools are the ones who lack resources. I will serve as a resource to my students and I hope to be an inspiration to them. In turn, I hope they become kind, respectful adults. I want them to see the virtue in helping others and I hope they will serve others in their future careers. I want to be the teacher they remember. I want to be the teacher that helped them succeed.

I’ll feel successful as a teacher if my students are successful in attaining their goals. If one student decides to achieve more then I will have lived out my dream.

by Madison Sherrill

I’ve decided to become a teacher because I want to show the value of compassion and diversity.

As I begin college this upcoming fall, my main motivation is the students. While I haven’t even met them yet, they inspire me to persist in my classes and stay optimistic.  My classroom will support innovative thinking and celebrate each student’s individuality.

As a classroom teacher, I want to encourage and positively influence the next generation. They should know that they can be successful and achieve what they aspire to become while making the world better. By teaching the value of inclusiveness and the power of kindness, my students may turn out to be visionary thinkers and leading members of society.

by Alicia Costin

I am returning to school after taking a few years off. After graduating from California Lutheran University with my BS in Mathematics, I wanted to land a job with benefits and begin my “adult life”.

While it took me a few months to find my current job, is it just that; a job. I have benefits, a full-time schedule, weekends and holidays off, but am I happy? Is this what I want to do as a career for the rest of my life? I have asked myself this question a few times and the answer is always the same; no.

My dream is to become a teacher and help motivate and encourage students to do their best in their studies and in life.  It is my dream to do what I was meant to do; shape young minds and help future generations.

When things become difficult during my graduate program, I know to keep pushing, thriving, and studying hard so that, when I do become a teacher, I can use this as a positive story to shape their way of life. I landed a job outside of college, however now it is time for me to land my career.

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Essay on My Teaching Experience

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Teaching Experience in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Teaching Experience

Introduction.

Teaching is a rewarding job that offers an opportunity to shape young minds. My experience as a teacher has been both challenging and fulfilling.

Starting My Journey

I began my teaching journey as a volunteer at a local school. It was a valuable experience, teaching me patience and communication skills.

Challenges and Triumphs

Teaching is not always easy; it comes with its set of challenges. However, watching my students grow and learn has been the greatest reward.

In conclusion, my teaching experience has been a journey of learning, growth, and satisfaction.

250 Words Essay on My Teaching Experience

Personal growth and development.

My initial teaching days were marked by a blend of enthusiasm and anxiety. Over time, I learned to convert this nervous energy into a constructive force, enhancing my ability to engage students. I discovered that teaching is not merely about disseminating information, it’s a process of fostering curiosity, instilling critical thinking skills, and inspiring lifelong learning.

Embracing Diversity

In my classroom, I encountered a diverse group of learners, each with unique strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. This diversity necessitated a flexible teaching approach, tailored to individual needs. I learned to create an inclusive environment that respects and values differences, fostering a sense of belonging for all students.

Challenges and Rewards

Teaching is not devoid of challenges. From dealing with disengaged students to managing classroom dynamics, I faced numerous hurdles. However, the rewards far outweighed the challenges. Witnessing a student’s ‘aha’ moment, observing their progress, and contributing to their personal and academic development was deeply fulfilling.

In conclusion, my teaching experience has been a profound journey of learning and growth. It has reinforced my belief in the transformative power of education and the pivotal role of teachers in shaping young minds. As I continue to evolve in my teaching career, I look forward to more opportunities for self-improvement and to making a positive impact on my students’ lives.

500 Words Essay on My Teaching Experience

Teaching is not merely a profession; it is a vocation that demands a deep sense of commitment and a passion for learning and sharing knowledge. My teaching experience has been an enlightening journey, filled with both challenges and rewards. It has provided me with a profound understanding of the dynamics of the educational process and the significance of creating a conducive learning environment for students.

The Beginning of My Journey

As with any journey, my teaching experience was fraught with challenges. The diverse backgrounds and learning styles of the students posed a significant hurdle. I had to devise innovative teaching strategies and employ differentiated instruction to cater to the varied needs of my students. Despite these challenges, the triumphs were numerous. The moments when a concept finally ‘clicked’ for a struggling student or when a class discussion evolved into a profound intellectual exchange were truly rewarding. These instances reaffirmed my faith in the transformative power of education.

Teaching as a Learning Experience

Teaching is a two-way process. As I strived to impart knowledge to my students, I also learned a great deal from them. Their unique perspectives and insightful questions often made me revisit and rethink my own understanding of certain concepts. This reciprocal process of learning and teaching enriched my intellectual growth and honed my pedagogical skills.

The Role of Technology

In conclusion, my teaching experience has been a transformative journey that has shaped my understanding of education and its role in society. It has taught me the importance of fostering a love for learning, the value of embracing diversity, and the significance of leveraging technology in education. As I continue my journey in the field of education, I carry with me the lessons learned and the experiences gained, ready to face the challenges and embrace the rewards that come my way.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Happy studying!

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Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Five Ways to Reignite Your Passion for Teaching

What gives you a sense of meaning in your work, even on the tough days?

When I posed this question to a group of teachers recently, no one focused on academics. Instead, their responses centered on their students’ engagement, the sense of participating in something larger than themselves, and the deep satisfaction they gained from relationship building.

“When my students make me laugh, and when they do that ‘oooooooooohhh’ sound that kids do when they finally ‘get’ it,” confessed a fifth-grade teacher. “Knowing the work you do is bigger than yourself is what keeps me motivated,” said a university professor.

A 20-year veteran kindergarten teacher said this: “It’s still the relationships I build every year that give me the most meaning. … Even now I get in the car at the end of the day and think, What was great about today? What was hard? How can I improve tomorrow? ”

If you are feeling a bit worn down right now and need some inspiration, here are five practical ways to pause, reflect on your work, reconnect with your role and purpose. It hopefully goes without saying that these tips aren’t just for teachers—they can be adapted by almost anyone who needs to reignite their passion for work.

1. Revisit your story

Researchers remind us that having a purpose in life is crucial for our health, longevity , and well-being . At the Greater Good Science Center’s Summer Institute for Educators , we invite educators to reflect more deeply on their purpose and identity in the following activity, which you can do at home (in your pajamas with your favorite beverage):

• Create a brief timeline of several major events, turning points, and epiphanies that made you the person and education professional you are today.
• Choose two or three of these events and reflect on each one. What feelings do you associate with the event? What lessons emerged for you? What obstacles and supports did you encounter? Did you learn anything about your strengths, weaknesses, motives, and values from this event?
• Overall, what story does your timeline tell about who you are?

According to psychologists , we all have an internalized narrative that explains how we became the person we are today and where we are headed tomorrow. As we revisit our story, it can help us to understand how and why we became an educator. It may also help us to answer the question “Who do I want to become?”

2. Celebrate a favorite teacher or mentor

Here is another simple exercise to try at home or in a staff meeting. If you try this activity with colleagues, partner up and stand back to back while listening to each question read aloud; next, turn and face each other as you share your responses. The process of pausing, reflecting, and then listening to your partner, in close proximity, may help you to focus more on the words and emotions shared.

• Describe the teacher or mentor who had the most influence on you.
• How did you feel when you were with this person?
• How did you change as a result of this person?
• How did this person shape your life as an education professional?

Bonus: If we lean on each other for social support (and inspiration), we are less likely to be depressed and more likely to be resilient at work.

3. Connect with like-minded colleagues

When I talk with teachers, I often recall an image of myself during my first year of high school teaching. I would escape into my little cubby-hole of an office at lunchtime and lie flat on my back with the lights out. I felt totally overwhelmed and isolated that year; I was trying my hardest to meet the needs of 163 students every day, and I was physically and emotionally exhausted. The principal stepped into my classroom only once that year, and the teachers down the hall kept to themselves.

We can’t do this alone. And there are lots of opportunities to connect ( especially if you feel like you don’t have the time). I know groups of teachers who meet weekly at a restaurant or bar to grade papers and talk. I know teachers who run together, meditate together, and camp together.

There are also many more formal opportunities to grow professionally and personally, meet new colleagues, and develop networks of support. For example, you can take an online course at Mindful Schools, participate in the CARE retreat for teachers, or apply to join us for the Summer Institute for Educators here at UC Berkeley. A new year-long program called Transformational Educational Leadership is also inviting applications.

Bottom line, reach out (even when it’s tough). Nurture new friendships while pursuing new professional development options.

4. Prioritize your well-being

If you are a teacher, there are probably plenty of obstacles preventing you from engaging in self-care. We teachers are notoriously resistant to helping ourselves out. So perhaps the argument below might convince you that your personal and professional well-being must be your number one imperative.

A recent report by the Aspen Institute, “The Evidence for How We Learn,” makes it crystal clear: “For social, emotional, and academic development to thrive in schools, teachers and administrators need … support to understand and model these skills, behaviors, knowledge, and beliefs.” Children learn social-emotional skills by being exposed to adult behavior. “If a teacher doesn’t have a level of social-emotional competence … then [they are] sending mixed messages,” writes Patricia Jennings, in her book Mindfulness for Teachers .

In addition to seeking out social support, there are many other research-based strategies for self-care, including physical exercise , mindfulness , self-compassion , and cognitive reappraisal (reframing your thoughts in response to a challenging exchange with a student, for example). There’s also a place for just forcing yourself to get up and go to that party even though you want to curl up in a ball on the couch—a technique psychologists call behavioral activation .

“Self-care is not a luxury,” write John Norcross and James Guy . “It is a human requisite, a professional necessity, and an ethical imperative.”

5. Create a resilience plan

Of course, developing social-emotional skills takes time, and resilience is an ongoing, dynamic process of adaptation and growth. So, why not create a plan?

• Consider (or try out) some of the research-based practices above.
• Notice which ones seem appealing, enjoyable, or helpful.
• Think about how you might incorporate one of these into your life.
• Choose one self-care strategy or practice to implement in your daily life (or almost every day) for at least 5-10 minutes. (Keep it simple.)
• What kinds of obstacles and barriers might arise? How might you address those obstacles? How will you encourage yourself to prioritize this plan?

As you commit to a plan, keep holding on to the parts of your work that give you meaning. And remember the wise words of a teacher I know: “Care for yourself as hard as you care for those kids.”

About the Author

Amy L. Eva, Ph.D. , is the associate education director at the Greater Good Science Center. As an educational psychologist and teacher educator with over 25 years in classrooms, she currently writes, presents, and leads online courses focused on student and educator well-being, mindfulness, and courage. Her new book, Surviving Teacher Burnout: A Weekly Guide To Build Resilience, Deal with Emotional Exhaustion, and Stay Inspired in the Classroom, features 52 simple, low-lift strategies for enhancing educators’ social and emotional well-being.

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Catching the Foul Balls

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Imagine a bright sunny day at a major league baseball park. It’s the middle innings of a good, but not notable, game. The lead-off batter hits a long ball down the third base side that arcs foul and heads for the seats. Just as it’s about to land in the bleachers, a gloved hand seems to appear from nowhere and snags a souvenir.  The crowd goes wild and the recipient waves his trophy for all to see.

But what’s the big commotion really all about. The ball itself is only worth a few dollars. If that same person found something much more valuable, like a $20 bill, on the sidewalk, people might congratulate him, but no one, let alone thousands, would stand and cheer. The cheering has little to do with the value of the ball, but rather the process of receiving it. Some in the stands will say to their friends “Nice catch, huh?” Others may remark on the preparation needed for someone to bring a glove to the ballpark and stay alert enough through the entire game to be ready for just that moment. Everyone will appreciate that few get the chance to make such a "big catch." But few will say, "Wow, he got a great baseball out of that!" This scene provides a lesson to those of us in academe: While the knowledge we create has value, it’s the process of creating that knowledge that generates passion and excitement. This lesson probably seems trivial to many of us who have spent our entire careers pursuing our passions in the lab or the library, but unfortunately, too few of those outside of the academy appreciate this basic reality, and this lack of appreciation is in large part our own fault. More than 1 million students earned bachelor’s degrees last year in the United States and more than 600,000 others received associate degrees. That’s 1.6 million people who voluntarily signed on to serve as academic apprentices to us. We had the chance to show them how to make the great catch, but too often we simply gave them the baseballs. Think of an undergraduate history course, for example. If you ask most undergraduate students to tell you about what they learned in their history courses they will talk about dates, or major social-political upheavals, or great battles and their consequences. But surprisingly few can talk about how that history was written, the scarcity of contemporary records for some events, the difficulties of verifying first-person accounts, the recasting of events over time to be consistent with changing political perspectives.In other words, they have received the baseball, examined it, and come to understand it; but we failed to share with them the excitement of how it came to be. Similarly, too many students come away from our natural science courses thinking that science is knowledge consisting of equations, principles, and specific laboratory techniques, like titration. I am of course generalizing in many ways. Chemistry majors understand that science is about discovery and history majors have wrestled with trying to reconcile contradictory sources, but most students in history classes are not going to become historians; for many this may be the only history course they take from a real historian. How unfortunate that those students didn’t come to appreciate what historians are and what they do.  And the same holds true for most students in our introductory science courses. How the world would be different, if each year more than a million people left our institutions understanding what we, as faculty, do with all of that time that we’re not in the classroom, what excitement there is in discovering something no one else has ever known, and the value that these discoveries bring to society. Those million-plus people become voters and taxpayers and some of them become corporate leaders and politicians. The world could be a very different place if they better understood faculty work and why universities are important.   This is not simply another call to include undergraduates in research. That is important, but not sufficient.  Clearly, students who spend several years, or even a semester or summer, working closely with a faculty mentor in research are likely to come to understand the importance of knowledge creation and the impact such work has on faculty, students, and society. But, given the pace of expanding national enrollments versus the pace of expanding the faculty, we will not be able to offer that kind of experience to the majority of our students any time in the foreseeable future. Instead, we must reshape our courses to reflect our passions for discovery as well as the ideas and facts that those passions have generated. The current emphasis on team-centered learning and “flipped” classrooms provides an opportunity to rethink not only how we teach, but what we teach.  Much of the work to date, however, has been on the incorporation of student skills (participation in a team, student-led learning, etc.) into existing courses. We must also use this opportunity to create course objectives that are defined not simply by content and student skills, but also by creating an understanding of the nature of the discipline(s) upon which a course or curriculum is built. In the future, our courses must be designed to help students appreciate the processes of discovery that define our disciplines, and they should make evident to our students the rewards and the excitement that comes from creating knowledge using those processes. Just as few of us will have the chance to snag a foul ball at a major league baseball game, so too will few of us succeed in making that really big discovery that redefines a discipline. But, all of us can appreciate the excitement of such a discovery and feel envious that it wasn’t us who made it. Those emotions are what drive us as faculty members and our students deserve the opportunity to see and understand that passion, as well.  It will make them better students and better future citizens.

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Keeping Your Passion for Teaching Alive

A veteran educator shares how he maintains his enthusiasm for teaching after more than two decades in the classroom.

Those of us committed to a long career in the classroom must seek new challenges if we expect our 20th year of teaching to be as engaging as our first. This doesn’t necessarily mean changing jobs or grade levels—opportunities abound for those open to them.

Isn’t teaching hard enough already, you ask? Why take on something new? Yes, teaching is exhausting, especially the parts we can’t avoid—grading papers, attending staff meetings, preparing students for another standardized test. But if we focus on things that drive our passions for teaching, we can stretch ourselves and energize our careers.

What do you love about teaching? Maybe it’s connecting with students who have fallen through the cracks. Maybe it’s taking kids outdoors to enjoy nature. If you could spend more time doing the things you love, what would your school day look like? How would that fit into your current school’s reality?

Start With Your Passions―and Your School’s Needs

While the new challenges I have accepted fuel my passions, they also benefit my school. I love stargazing and teach astronomy to fifth graders, but I couldn’t excite students about constellations with a daytime sky. My solutions: bring the inflatable Sky Dome Planetarium to school with help from a PTO grant and take my students on an optional Friday night field trip to our local observatory.

I also love seeing older students working with younger peers, but struggled to align schedules so that busy high school students could support my fifth graders. My solution: support a group of highly motivated high school students who created an after-school Elementary Science Olympiad club.

Sometimes new challenges take me out of my comfort zone. I don’t have a green thumb, but when my school needed a greenhouse manager, I swallowed my doubts and stepped in. Many of our plants have failed, and I’m still learning along with the students. The excitement on students’ faces when they took home their painted marigold pots for Mother’s Day erased my doubts and energized me to do even better this year.

Need a Little Help?

We often need help to get a great idea from dream world to the real world. Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program gives grants of $2,000 to $5,000 for school improvement projects. On DonorsChoose.org , teachers propose projects, and generous school supporters give money to ideas they find compelling. And the National Education Association funds grants of up to $5,000 for members with ideas for enhancing teaching and learning at their schools.

Maybe instead of financial help you need a partner to make a new opportunity worth pursuing. A collaborator makes the unknown less scary—and hopefully more fun. Just choose your partner wisely. Does her personality mesh well with your own? Do your strengths complement each other’s? I couldn’t take the headaches of planning our school science fair without my co-chair, who keeps me laughing and is always ready to divide up the tedious tasks. A partner should bring positive energy to a new project and make everything a little bit easier.

Make Professional Development an Adventure

Perhaps you will rekindle your passion for education away from your school building. There are adventures awaiting for teachers willing to spend precious personal time away from family and friends. Travel companies like Education First organize trips for students all over the world, many with historic, STEM, or service-themed itineraries. Teachers travel free as chaperones and can experience a new place alongside their students.

There are amazing opportunities for teachers to travel and learn with other teachers as well. The Earthwatch Institute has fellowships for educators interested in working with scientific and cultural researchers all over the world. The Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for Education for Sustainable Development funds short-term exchanges for teachers to learn about Japanese culture and Japanese environmental education. The Fund for Teachers program allows educators to create their own professional development experiences and funds travel and other expenses to winning proposals.

Over my 22-year teaching career, I have tracked elephants in Kenya, visited schools in Japan, attended Space Camp in Alabama, learned about environmental education in Colorado, and studied writing in Chautauqua, New York, all at the generous expense of corporate sponsors and nonprofits looking to expand teachers’ perspectives and improve teaching.

Don’t Do Too Much

Finally, I urge you to challenge yourself—but don’t kill yourself. Taking on new experiences and opportunities should be energizing, not exhausting. Attempt just one new initiative at a time. Plot out the hours you estimate it will take out of your week or month and then think about where that time will come from. Is there an old commitment that can be jettisoned or passed on to someone else? Can you cut back on your TV time or get up half an hour earlier once a week?

Don’t be afraid to admit if you find that you’ve taken on too much—if a commitment becomes overwhelming, find a way to step back or find help from colleagues to make it sustainable.

I continue to feel energized and passionate about teaching despite the fact that I have been teaching fifth graders for 20-plus years. I love kids and I love my job, but I think I would lose some of my passion if I didn’t continually find new opportunities and new outlets for my creativity and energy. I hope you find ways to do the same.

Maintaining Passion for Teaching

Educating students is more than just a job for passionate teachers, it’s a way of life.

From seeing a student’s face light up with understanding after finally working through a complex math problem, to watching students dive into new worlds through classical literature, these teachers derive great joy from seeing their students grow and learn.

Unfortunately, while many teachers enter their jobs with this passion and drive, some feel this spark dim as their careers progress. Some teachers struggle to manage classrooms, meet national educational standards, and communicate with administrative leaders, hindering their abilities to create their desired classroom environments.

Not all teachers encounter these problems in their careers, and many fight through the challenges, separating the good parts of teaching from the bad. By meeting these obstacles head on, teachers are able to maintain their passion, and effectively educate their students.

Obstacles to staying passionate

In the book “A Passion for Teaching,” author Christopher Day examines ways teachers go from optimistic, passionate individuals, to burned out and exhausted ones. Day notes that there are times over the course of a teacher’s career where initial passion is replaced by frustration, fatigue, or cynicism.

These “burnout” moments may be temporary though, and don’t necessarily signal the end of a career. Teachers who recognize and understand the source of their cynicism are able to address these issues through adjustments to their work or life.

The main reasons a teacher might lose his or her passion for teaching include complications stemming from:

• National Education Policies
• Student Behavior
• Administrative Support
• Parental Demands

Each of these areas demand that teachers shift their attitudes or classroom procedures in order to maintain their passions. Classrooms maintained by a teacher affected by burnout only have further negative effects for both the teacher’s mood and his or her students.

Without passionate teachers, classroom atmospheres tend to be boring, disruptive, and disrespectful, doing further damage to a teacher’s mental outlook. Burned out teachers typically use less hands-on, active teaching methods, and do the bare minimum of work to keep their jobs.

So how can these burned out teachers recapture the passion that once spurred them to enter the teaching profession in the first place?

Adjusting to national education policies

Sometimes, it seems like teachers today feel more pressure to succeed than their students. National and state education policies often require teachers to adhere to strict instructional standards, sometimes changing a teacher’s lesson plans and judging teaching ability by student test scores alone.

These strict standards sometimes cause teachers to feel stifled and uncreative, and they become disillusioned with their jobs, losing their passion.

When teachers first start out, they may have plans and ideas of how to organize their classrooms and lessons they are forced to change due to educational policies. This sometimes causes a teacher to feel that they aren’t valued as a creative force, and must simply teach their students to pass tests. Teachers may not be able to enact the lessons they wish, and can’t personalize lessons as much as they once thought they could.

Just because teachers must meet certain national standards doesn’t mean that they can’t be creative in the way they meet those standards. Teachers frustrated with policy should reflect on the reasons they first entered the teaching career, and brainstorm ways they can reclaim that passion.

For example, an English teacher might have entered a teaching career with the goal of instilling a passion for reading in his or her students. National education policy mostly concerns itself with the testing scores of students, causing the teacher to shift lessons from reading they find enjoyable, to more routine lessons they may grow bored of.

Teachers must understand that they can still personalize their classrooms to reflect their passions, while also adhering to national education guidelines. Some teachers fall into a routine because of standards, but the important thing is to try to have fun.

In “Teaching with Passion,” published in Education Digest, author Jerelyn Thomas notes that teachers shouldn’t be afraid to make fools of themselves for the sake of engaging students. For example, if a teacher is instructing students in British literature, why not speak in a mock English accent to try and make the material fun, in addition to educational?

By making class fun, teachers share their passions for education with students. This also goes a long way in addressing student behavioral problems, which may arise because of boredom in the classroom.

Overcoming student behavioral issues

Disruptive students often cause teachers to feel unappreciated, disrespected, and exhausted. Where once a teacher was energetic and ready to teach a class every morning, they might approach it with anxiety and stress, dreading the challenges before them.

This is often a cyclical cycle, however. When teachers dread class and take less creative risks, the students grow bored, and sometimes more disruptive, leading the teacher to spiral further into burnout.

When a teacher is overwhelmed by student behavioral problems, the most important thing to do is to take a step back and investigate why these problems are occurring in the first place. As a teacher investigates, they may find that the classroom atmosphere has stagnated, and they must brainstorm ways of developing deeper relationships with their students.

Teachers should remind themselves of what first drew them to teaching in the first place. It’s highly likely that what first attracted them to teaching was making a difference in their students lives, and some teachers lose track of that goal when under pressure from disruptive students. Students may become disruptive if they sense that a teacher does not care about them.

Famous teacher and subject of the 1988 film “Stand and Deliver,” Jaime Escalante set high expectations and demanded that his students succeed, changing the mood of a tough, inner-city classroom. The class was disruptive, sometimes threatening, and considered a loss by school administrators.

However, Escalante set challenges and goals for his students, and they worked together as a team to meet those goals. He called it a “cooperative learning” approach, noting that he made students believe they were a team that was going to prepare for the Olympics.

If a majority of a classroom is working together as a team to achieve academic success, there is increased pressure on other students to participate and take class seriously. Additionally, by working as a team, the teacher and his or her students are harnessing passion, and the teacher shows the students how passionate work pays off.

In addition to a revamped classroom atmosphere, obtaining administrative support is key to managing disruptive classrooms.

Developing effective teacher/administrator relationships

Teachers must not only establish good relationships with their students, but also with their fellow teachers and administrators. Needless to say, it’s essential to be a “people person” to effectively teach and interact with others in school.

Much like teachers who demand the best from their students, administrative officials demand the best from their teachers. If a teacher begins to lose their passion and desire to teach, officials will notice and will likely ask what’s wrong.

Teachers should not be afraid to approach administrators with their concerns, challenges, and problems. By staying open about what concerns them, teachers don’t appear weak, but caring and engaged. A teacher who shows they want to do well and meet challenges proves to an administrator that they have the passion needed to be effective teachers.

Administrators who view this passion will likely do all they can to help teachers deal with issues stemming from disruptive students, disgruntled parents, or concerns about education policy.

If an administrator isn’t supportive, and teachers find themselves becoming overwhelmed and losing passion because of it, that teacher must adjust and find support elsewhere. Teachers should help each other with ideas and problems, giving advice and tips to overcoming burnout and dwindling passion.

If teachers do manage to develop good relationships with their administrators, they will likely feel relief from another high source of stress and burnout: challenging parents.

Maintaining passion in the face of parental criticism

As a teacher, it’s hard to hear that your methods aren’t effective, that you aren’t doing enough to help the children, or that a student received a poor grade when they should have received a good one – and it’s even harder hearing this from a student’s parents.

Dealing with high parental expectations is a major source of stress for many teachers, and often leads them to feel unappreciated or frustrated. Teachers understand the intricacies and challenges of managing a classroom, and might feel they are doing all they can in the face of widespread disruption.

When meeting with parents, the most important thing a teacher should do is prepare well, and be a great communicator. It never hurts to be extremely positive when meeting with a parent, and to give them examples of what the students learn in class, and the general structure of a classroom.

If a teacher reflects on their classroom atmosphere, and provides an engaging medium for students to learn in, they should clearly explain the lesson plans and course requirements to parents. Some parents might feel that a teacher hasn’t done enough to engage their child, so teachers must prepare to clearly state their high expectations for students.

Much like they share their passions with their students, teachers should share their passions with parents. Before meeting with parents, a teacher should create bulletin boards or posters to showcase some of his or her lesson ideas and classroom activities. A teacher who appears to truly love his or her career and shows how much he or she cares will satisfy a parent’s curiosity.

When meeting with parents, it often helps to have administrative support to back up claims and explanations of lessons. This helps to reinforce a teacher’s expertise on subject matter, and alleviates concerns of parents.

Keeping the fire lit

Teaching is a challenging, tough, yet rewarding career that isn’t for everybody. It’s said that teachers are born, not made, and it all comes down to passion.

Teachers who feel overwhelmed and anxious about their careers must step back and look reflectively at why they entered the career in the first place.

There are times in every teacher’s life where they wonder if they made the right decision, if it could be easier doing something else, and if it’s all worth it. Then they think back to all of the times where a child finally solved a problem, or when a former student approached them thanking them for being such a wonderful teacher.

The answer is that it is worth it, and these moments make up for any of the hardships and challenging moments. If you’ve felt yourself losing the spark, and are struggling to maintain passion, try to break routine and take creative risks. Scrap old lesson plans and start anew, brainstorming new classroom activities and fun experiments to increase the educational opportunities in your classroom.

Maintaining your passion might be challenging, but if you work hard at it, you will be rewarded in the future. Passionate teachers often go on to become passionate leaders in their communities, taking up administrative roles and creating passionate schools.

If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a passionate teacher, request information from schools offering master’s degrees in education.

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The Role of Passion in Learning and Teaching

• September 2017
• International Journal of Social Sciences and Educational Studies 4(1):60-64

• Tishk University

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Essay on Teaching As A Profession – Short & Long Essay Examples

Essay on Teaching As A Profession: Teaching is often considered one of the noblest professions, as educators play a crucial role in shaping the minds and futures of young individuals. In this essay, we will explore the various aspects of teaching as a profession, including the responsibilities, challenges, and rewards that come with the job. From inspiring students to fostering a love of learning, teaching requires dedication, patience, and a genuine passion for helping others succeed. Join us as we delve into the world of teaching as a profession.

Table of Contents

Teaching As A Profession Essay Writing Tips

1. Start by introducing the topic of teaching as a profession and why it is important in society. You can mention the impact teachers have on shaping the future generation and the role they play in educating and inspiring students.

2. Provide a brief overview of the history of teaching as a profession, highlighting how it has evolved over the years and the increasing demands and challenges that teachers face in today’s world.

3. Discuss the qualities and skills required to be an effective teacher. This can include patience, empathy, communication skills, subject knowledge, and the ability to adapt teaching methods to meet the needs of diverse learners.

4. Explain the importance of ongoing professional development for teachers. This can include attending workshops, conferences, and pursuing advanced degrees to stay current with best practices in education.

5. Discuss the impact of technology on teaching as a profession. Highlight how teachers are incorporating technology into their lessons to enhance learning and engage students in new ways.

6. Address the challenges and rewards of being a teacher. This can include long hours, low pay, and dealing with difficult students, as well as the satisfaction of seeing students succeed and making a positive impact on their lives.

7. Provide examples of successful teachers who have made a difference in their students’ lives and in the education system. This can help illustrate the importance and value of teaching as a profession.

8. Discuss the future of teaching as a profession and how it may continue to evolve in response to changing educational trends and societal needs.

9. Conclude your essay by summarizing the key points you have discussed and reiterating the importance of teaching as a profession in shaping the future of society.

10. Remember to proofread your essay for grammar and spelling errors before submitting it. Make sure your ideas are well-organized and supported with evidence and examples to make a compelling argument for teaching as a profession.

Essay on Teaching As A Profession in 10 Lines – Examples

1. Teaching is a noble profession that involves shaping the minds of future generations. 2. Teachers play a crucial role in imparting knowledge, skills, and values to students. 3. The profession requires patience, dedication, and a passion for helping others learn. 4. Teachers must continuously adapt to new teaching methods and technologies to keep up with the changing educational landscape. 5. Effective communication and interpersonal skills are essential for building relationships with students and parents. 6. Teachers must have a deep understanding of their subject matter and be able to convey complex concepts in a way that is easily understood by students. 7. The profession offers opportunities for professional growth and development through ongoing training and education. 8. Teachers have the power to inspire and motivate students to reach their full potential. 9. The impact of a good teacher can last a lifetime, influencing students long after they have left the classroom. 10. Despite the challenges and demands of the profession, teaching can be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling for those who are passionate about education.

Sample Essay on Teaching As A Profession in 100-180 Words

Teaching is a noble profession that requires dedication, passion, and a commitment to lifelong learning. Teachers play a crucial role in shaping the minds of future generations, imparting knowledge and skills that will help students succeed in their personal and professional lives.

As a profession, teaching requires continuous professional development to stay current with best practices and educational trends. Teachers must also possess strong communication skills, empathy, and the ability to connect with students on a personal level.

Despite the challenges and demands of the profession, teaching can be incredibly rewarding. The impact that teachers have on their students can be profound, shaping their beliefs, values, and aspirations for the future.

In conclusion, teaching is not just a job, but a calling that requires a deep sense of purpose and a genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of others.

Short Essay on Teaching As A Profession in 200-500 Words

Teaching is often considered one of the noblest professions in the world. It involves shaping the minds of young individuals and preparing them for the future. Teaching is not just a job, but a calling that requires dedication, passion, and a genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of students.

One of the key aspects of teaching as a profession is the impact that teachers have on their students. Teachers play a crucial role in shaping the future of their students by imparting knowledge, instilling values, and fostering critical thinking skills. They serve as mentors, role models, and guides, helping students navigate through the challenges of academic life and beyond.

Teaching is a profession that requires continuous learning and growth. Teachers are constantly updating their knowledge and skills to keep up with the latest developments in their field. They attend workshops, conferences, and seminars to enhance their teaching techniques and strategies. They also collaborate with colleagues to share best practices and learn from each other.

Another important aspect of teaching as a profession is the sense of fulfillment that comes from seeing students succeed. Teachers take pride in the achievements of their students, whether it be academic success, personal growth, or overcoming challenges. The joy of witnessing a student’s “aha” moment or seeing them reach their full potential is a rewarding experience that keeps teachers motivated and inspired.

Teaching is also a profession that requires patience, empathy, and understanding. Teachers work with students from diverse backgrounds, abilities, and learning styles. They must be able to adapt their teaching methods to meet the needs of each individual student and create a supportive and inclusive learning environment. Teachers must also be able to handle difficult situations with grace and professionalism, such as dealing with challenging behavior or supporting students through personal struggles.

Despite the many rewards of teaching, it is also a profession that comes with its own set of challenges. Teachers often face long hours, heavy workloads, and limited resources. They must juggle multiple responsibilities, from lesson planning and grading to parent meetings and extracurricular activities. Teaching can be emotionally and physically demanding, requiring resilience, perseverance, and a strong support system.

In conclusion, teaching is a profession that requires a unique combination of skills, qualities, and dedication. It is a rewarding and fulfilling career that offers the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of students. While teaching may have its challenges, the joy of seeing students grow and succeed makes it all worth it. Teachers are not just educators, but mentors, advocates, and inspirations who shape the future generation.

Essay on Teaching As A Profession in 1000-1500 Words

Teaching is often regarded as one of the noblest professions in the world. It is a profession that plays a crucial role in shaping the future of individuals and society as a whole. Teachers are not just educators, but also mentors, role models, and guides who have the power to inspire and empower their students. In this essay, we will explore the various aspects of teaching as a profession and why it is considered so important.

First and foremost, teaching is a profession that requires a high level of dedication, passion, and commitment. Teachers are responsible for imparting knowledge and skills to their students, and they play a key role in helping them achieve their full potential. A good teacher is not just someone who imparts information, but also someone who inspires and motivates their students to learn and grow. Teaching requires patience, empathy, and the ability to connect with students on a personal level. It is a profession that demands constant learning and self-improvement, as teachers need to stay updated with the latest developments in their field and adapt their teaching methods to meet the needs of their students.

Teaching is also a profession that requires a high level of expertise and skill. Teachers need to have a deep understanding of their subject matter, as well as the ability to communicate complex ideas in a clear and engaging manner. They need to be able to create a positive and inclusive learning environment where all students feel valued and respected. Teachers also need to be able to assess the progress of their students and provide constructive feedback to help them improve. In addition, teachers need to be able to manage their classroom effectively, handle disciplinary issues, and work collaboratively with parents, colleagues, and other stakeholders to ensure the success of their students.

One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of students. Teachers have the power to inspire and empower their students, to help them discover their passions and talents, and to guide them towards a successful and fulfilling future. Teachers often form close relationships with their students, and they have the privilege of witnessing their growth and development over time. The impact of a good teacher can last a lifetime, as students carry the lessons they have learned and the values they have imbibed with them into adulthood.

Teaching is also a profession that offers a great deal of personal satisfaction and fulfillment. The joy of seeing a student grasp a difficult concept, the pride of watching them succeed in their endeavors, and the gratitude of knowing that you have made a difference in someone’s life are all rewards that come with being a teacher. Teaching is a profession that allows you to use your talents and skills to make a positive impact on the world, and it provides a sense of purpose and meaning that is hard to find in other professions.

Despite the many rewards of teaching, it is also a profession that comes with its own set of challenges and difficulties. Teachers often have to deal with large class sizes, limited resources, and diverse student populations with varying needs and abilities. They have to juggle multiple responsibilities, from lesson planning and grading to parent meetings and extracurricular activities. Teaching can be physically and emotionally demanding, and it requires a great deal of resilience and perseverance to succeed in this profession.

Another challenge that teachers face is the lack of recognition and support that they often receive. Teaching is a profession that is often undervalued and underpaid, especially in comparison to other professions that require similar levels of education and expertise. Teachers are often asked to do more with less, and they are frequently subjected to criticism and scrutiny from parents, administrators, and policymakers. Despite these challenges, however, teachers continue to do their best to provide a quality education to their students and to make a positive impact on their lives.

In conclusion, teaching is a profession that is both challenging and rewarding. It requires a high level of dedication, expertise, and skill, as well as a deep commitment to the well-being and success of students. Teachers have the power to inspire, empower, and guide their students towards a brighter future, and they play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators. Despite the challenges that they face, teachers continue to work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of their students and to create a better world for future generations. Teaching is not just a profession, but a calling, and those who choose to answer that call have the power to change the world for the better.

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The passion that lit a hundred burning passions: A teacher’s story of toil and triumph

Teaching has always been considered a noble profession that requires great passion. Being a teacher in the Philippines is a far more interesting story to tell. The challenges abound and one’s passion can truly be tested, and if one prevails, a diamond in the rough emerges.

For the past three decades, Teacher Jacquelyn Rachel L. Tapdasan has spent most of her life teaching. Starting as a classroom teacher, Teacher Jacky always believes that teaching is not just a profession, but a personal calling.

“I’m passionate about teaching because I come from a family of teachers, and I’m surrounded with passionate people. Even if I have a son with special needs, I continue to teach and use this as an inspiration to help my learners grow and succeed,” Teacher Jacky shared.

In 2003, Teacher Jacky’s normal life as a classroom teacher changed when she accepted the challenge of being the Non-Formal Education (NFE) Coordinator in the District of Naga III in the province of Cebu. Being an NFE Coordinator meant that she would leave the comforts of teaching in a classroom to provide education to learners in far-flung areas inaccessible to formal basic education system. Every week, she traveled to Sitio Cabuan, which is 14 km from the town proper, to conduct basic literacy program (BLP) to out-of-school youth and adults.

Being an NFE Coordinator in Sitio Cabuan gave Teacher Jacky the chance to meet its resident. She coordinated with the barangay officials and looked for partners in implementing the life skills trainings such as basic dressmaking, manicure and pedicure, and welding and fabrication. Her efforts paved the way for non-formal education in the remotest sitio in Naga City.

In 2008, new opportunities opened for Teacher Jacky as the DepEd Division of Cebu City was established as an interim division for DepEd Cebu Province. This development provided an opportunity for Teacher Jacky to establish a formal school in Sitio Cabuan. She communicated her plan to the District Supervisor, who conveyed her proposal to the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS). The SDS approved the request to create a primary school in Sitio Cabuan, provided that Teacher Jacky would have 75 learners and would teach five days a week. For the love of teaching, she accepted the challenge even if she knew it would be tough and would take a big toll on her personal life.

On June 29, 2009, Teacher Jacky started teaching 76 learners from Grades 1-4 and pursued the creation of Cirilo P. Selgas Primary School. Classes were conducted in the chapel for Grades 1 and 2, and in makeshift tent outside the chapel for Grades 3 and 4. Her dedication has moved the hearts of the people in the community.

In times of challenges and struggles, Teacher Jacky never gives up. She keeps the passion burning. She always reminds herself of the proverb, “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.”

At present, Teacher Jacky serves as the District Alternative Learning System (ALS) Coordinator of Naga III. Every week, she travels to four community learning centers (CLCs) to meet her students. She has been in ALS for 16 years.

Her story is written to remind and inspire people to never give up in helping those  in need and to continue to touch hearts, nurture minds, and transform the lives of the young learners.

“The best part of teaching is seeing my students grow and to make a difference in the life of my learners,” Teacher Jacky concluded.

By:   Yvonne Burbos-Gera; 09064326538        Senior Education Program Specialist – HRDS       City Of Naga, Cebu Division; Region VII

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Teachers Collaboration & Professional Growth

The Power of Infusing Your Own Passions Into Your Teaching

Infusing your own passions into your classroom is a powerful teaching tool. i thought it sounded selfish at first, infusing what i love into my classroom. why should my passions have anything to do with my students or with my teaching but then i realized that passion drives one’s enthusiasm and truly motivates giving teachers “fuel” to ignite the wonder and love of learning within their students. i’ve been reading a lot about passion and enthusiasm in both books, teach like a pirate: increase student engagement, boost your creativity, and transform your life as an educator and the wild card: 7 steps to an educator’s creative breakthrough . two inspiring books with similar ideas about infusing passion into creativity and just how powerful it could be. it allows you to be more authentic and enthusiastic in how you teach by sharing your passions with your students connecting it directly into the content. not only is this self-fulfilling, but it helps build connections and relationships with your students., so how do you go about infusing your passions into your teaching, first, brainstorm about what you are truly passionate about and how could you tie it into the content you are teaching.  sometimes we get so stuck in “curriculum and programs” that we forget to focus on the way in which we could deliver the content. although i am extremely passionate and enthusiastic about teaching, i had to delve deeper into my personal hobbies and interests and think about what i could infuse into my teaching and classroom activities. i thought about my background in sign language and how i have infused that into my classroom and content. i incorporated some simple signs/hand gestures into the classroom, which is a widely used classroom management strategy that is so easy to use and implement ( sign language/hand gestures posters and teacher guide ), taught my second grade students how to sign a few songs and poems during april’s poetry month, and led an asl enrichment cluster in my school for students who were interested in learning asl. i used this passion and skill i had to teach others and they loved it., also, for a time i was passionate about learning how to knit so i used knitting to launch my ‘how to’ writing unit while teaching steps in a process. my students loved seeing the process in action as i demonstrated it, making mistakes along the way, and created the product right in front of their eyes. they all wanted to knit something after that and praised my efforts in making my “not so perfect scarves.” 😉, and then, of course, i infused my love for writing and storytelling (read about my storytelling hook here ) into my classroom and my students would beg for more. beg to hear more stories about both of my “thanksgiving fiascos,” the “halloween nightmare” and my days of “crime fighting” which was all good modeling for showing, not telling in our storytelling writing unit. i realized that i can put my passions to work and engage my students in the content at the same time., do you have a skill you are passionate about that you could teach others are you passionate about music or do you play an instrument bring it into the classroom. incorporating music into your classroom has so many benefits. i wrote about how music motivates writers, which you could read  here ). what about art do you have an eye for color, design, photography i bet you could infuse this passion into the content standards you teach. think outside of the box. be creative and have fun with it., there are so many ways you could infuse your passions into your teaching. here are some ideas from the wild card: 7 steps to an educator’s creative breakthrough (king & king p. 132) based on the eight intellectual types:, visual-spatial: architecture, space, geography, photography, origami, comic books, cartoons, graphic design, fashion design, interior design, diy projects, books, film, video, model building, sculpting, painting, drawing, bodily-kinesthetic: dance, exercise, crafting, acting, pantomime, yoga, sports, health, gymnastics, cycling, musical: rhythm, sound effects, composing songs, writing lyrics, playing an instrument, rapping, musical theater, singing, interpersonal-social: interacting with others, debates, dialogue, community service, social media competition, entertaining, team sports, intrapersonal: self-reflection, meditation, yoga, mindfulness, scrapbooking, writing, linguistic-verbal: reading aloud, word games, storytelling, writing, humor, giving speeches, presentations, podcasts, logical-mathematical: solving puzzles or mysteries, philosophy, law, computer science, programming, chess, strategy based games, astronomy, engineering, scientific method, crime investigation, forensics, philosophy, naturalistic: gardening, pets, animals, wildlife, weather, geology, farming, agriculture, insects, ecosystems, life cycles, food chains, natural resources, climate change, ecology, recycling, so where do you begin.

Pick something you love and would like to bring into the classroom

Connect it to the content and standards you teach, plan the lesson with a balance of creative delivery methods and academic rigor to drive student engagement, sell it with enthusiasm so your students will buy it, showtime bring your creative lessons to life—expand on it with real-world applications. see my post about room transformations  here., and when i wasn’t so passionate about a topic, like teaching the life cycle of beetles, because insects (except butterflies) are not my thing, i let my students who were passionate about six-legged creatures go to town. they handled the insects, took care of them, observed much more closely than i would have liked to, and helped keep the enthusiasm and learning going for the sake of all of us. that’s what we do…work as a team and learn as a team building on each other’s passions and interests., by infusing your own passions and the content you teach you’ve just created magic . the magic of learning and enthusiasm for topics that your students may have not been exposed to if you hadn’t brought them into the classroom. and you’ll find that your students will do the same. i’ve had students teach us all about what they were passionate about, like the stars and planets, every make and model of antique cars, and even one who tried to teach (and convince) us to play minecraft., all of our passions play a role in us all developing as learners. that’s why there are so many benefits to a classroom of students. we all bring something to the table to help us grow as a learner. each and every year i can’t wait to learn from them, in hopes that they’ll embrace my passions tied into the content i teach., give it a go what are you passionate about and how will you infuse it into your teaching, need support visit the  forums  to ask questions, share ideas and products. there are so many fantastic ideas and products posted there so be sure to check them out., be sure to visit the shop for resources to support your classroom and join  for the love of teachers  email list to receive the latest and greatest updates, plus receive monthly freebies, if you like it, then pin it.

Christine Weis is a passionate educator, classroom management coach, wife, and mom of two busy boys. She enjoys teaching, writing, and creating resources for teachers.

April 26, 2018 at 2:40 pm

“Sometimes we get so stuck in “curriculum and programs” that we forget to focus on the way in which we could deliver the content.”

YES! When students see us geeking out about something, even if they don’t like it, they realize that we’re human. This has a HUGE effect on how relatable a teacher is, as well as the strength of their bond with their students.

My students know that I’m obsessed with cats, and they show me funny cat memes all of the time, even if they hate cats. I put cats into sentence correction examples, use them to kick off many lessons, and in general, just infuse them into everything. The kids get really excited about it!

I think more teachers need to open up and remember that their passions could motivate a student to find their own passions!

April 28, 2018 at 2:34 pm

Ha…geeking out…I love it! And you are right…students thrive off of our enthusiasm and passions. I love your obsession with cats. I am a bit terrified of cats but my students love to hear my story about why…I bet you’re interested too. Even so I think cats are pretty funny “creatures” and I find cat memes hilarious. What a great way to connect with your students. Sharing your passions definitely motivates and inspires others. Thanks for reading Kim!! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

April 26, 2018 at 2:32 pm

This is so needed! Teachers who are working with their passions are more effective.

April 28, 2018 at 2:35 pm

Thank you and yes, I agree…definitely more effective. Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

April 26, 2018 at 12:41 pm

I’m totally going to share this with a friend who feels like he’s in a rut with teaching at the moment, and very limited. THANKS!

April 26, 2018 at 1:54 pm

Oh please do! I’ve been in that rut before and have found ways to get out of it! Thankfully! Thank you for reading!! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

April 25, 2018 at 9:58 pm

I always believe the the saying “Do it nice, or do it twice!” Whenever I teach, I make sure that I put 100% passion in it. Students learn more if they see that the teachers are very dedicated to share their knowledge and skills.

April 25, 2018 at 10:05 pm

I love that saying! Putting forth 100% with passion, dedication and knowledge is right on point! Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

April 25, 2018 at 7:55 pm

I totally believe you should infuse your passion into your teaching! That’s what makes a good teacher in my opinion 🙂

April 25, 2018 at 10:04 pm

Yes…it’s the difference between and a good teacher and a GREAT teacher. Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

April 25, 2018 at 7:12 pm

I think it’s great for a teaching to use their passions to teach. When a teacher is excited, it helps get their students excited.

YES!!! Excitement is contagious and it shows! They love it! Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

April 25, 2018 at 6:35 pm

I love this so much! Kids know when you’re passionate about something, and when you’re just trying to teach a standard because you have to! Love these tips to make learning more fun!

April 25, 2018 at 10:03 pm

Thank you! Students, including myself, will buy in when it is engaging and interesting. We must go beyond teaching the standards. Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

April 25, 2018 at 12:04 pm

These are great tips! As a teacher of Art History I realize not all of my students are interested in the subject so I’m always trying to find ways to get my students to be interested in the subject! Thanks for sharing! xo – Kam

April 25, 2018 at 10:02 pm

Yes…we must find ways to get ourselves and our students interested and engaged in the content. It makes it that much better for ALL of us! Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

April 25, 2018 at 9:31 am

These are great tips! I will pass them along!

April 25, 2018 at 10:01 pm

Thank you! Appreciate it! Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

April 24, 2018 at 5:27 pm

I love this! Teachers are so inspiring to me. (Hello, it’s like they’re a saint for how much patience they have!) But the teachers that have left a lasting impression on me, are the ones who were passionate about the subjects they taught!

April 24, 2018 at 9:00 pm

Well thank you so much for your kind words! Patience of a saint for sure! 😉 Being passionate about what you teach goes way beyond the curriculum. Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

April 24, 2018 at 5:01 pm

This is so true. I remember that I learnt a lot more from teachers who were invested in what they were teaching!

April 24, 2018 at 8:59 pm

Yes, definitely!!! It works like magic! Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

April 24, 2018 at 5:00 pm

What a great tip to infuse your own passions into educating others! It makes sense that if the ones that you are teaching see that you are excited and passionate about something that will be more encouraged to want to learn themselves.

April 24, 2018 at 8:58 pm

Your passions trigger your enthusiasm which increases student engagement. It opens their eyes to something about you that’s new and different. They just eat it up! Plus it promotes a classroom culture of sharing and appreciating each other’s passions. Thanks for reading! Christine at For The Love of Teachers

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Becoming a Teacher: What I Learned about Myself During the Pandemic

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Introduction to the Article by Andrew Stremmel

Now, more than ever, we need to hear the voices of preservice teachers as well as in-service teachers during this pandemic. How has the pandemic affected them? In what ways has the pandemic enabled them to think about the need to really focus on what matters, what’s important? What were the gains and losses? These are very important questions for our time.  In this essay, Alyssa Smith, a senior studying early childhood education, attempts to address the lessons learned from her junior year, focusing on the positive aspects of her coursework and demonstrating an imaginative, growth mindset. This essay highlights the power of students’ reflection on their own learning. But I think it does so much more meaningful contemplation than we might expect of our students in “normal” times. Alyssa gains a new appreciation for this kind of active reflection—the opportunity to think more critically; to be more thoughtful; to stop, step back, catch her breath, and rethink things. As a teacher educator and her mentor, I believe this essay represents how the gift of time to stop and reflect can open space to digest what has been experienced, and how the gift of reflective writing can create a deeper level of thinking about how experiences integrate with one’s larger narrative as a person.

About the Author

Andrew Stremmel, PhD, is professor in early childhood education at South Dakota State University. His research is in teacher action research and Reggio Emilia-inspired, inquiry-based approaches to early childhood teacher education. He is an executive editor of  Voices of Practitioners .  

I’ve always known I was meant to be a teacher. I could feel my passion guide my work and lead my heart through my classes. So why did I still feel as if something was missing? During the fall of my junior year, the semester right before student teaching, I began to doubt my ability to be a great teacher, as I did not feel completely satisfied in my work. What I did not expect was a global pandemic that would shut down school and move all coursework online. I broke down. I wanted to do more than simply be a good student. I wanted to learn to be a great teacher. How was I supposed to discover my purpose and find what I was missing when I couldn’t even attend my classes? I began to fret that I would never become the capable and inspirational educator that I strived to be, when I was missing the firsthand experience of being in classrooms, interacting with children, and collaborating with peers.

It wasn’t until my first full semester being an online student that I realized the pandemic wasn’t entirely detrimental to my learning. Two of my early childhood education courses, Play and Inquiry and Pedagogy and Curriculum, allowed limited yet meaningful participation in a university lab school as well as engagement with problems of substance that require more intense thinking, discussion, analysis, and thoughtful action. These problems, which I briefly discuss below, presented challenges, provocations, possibilities, and dilemmas to be pondered, and not necessarily resolved. Specifically, they pushed me to realize that the educational question for our time is not, “What do I need to know about how to teach?” Rather, it is, “What do I need to know about myself in the context of this current pandemic?” I was therefore challenged to think more deeply about who I wanted to be as a teacher and who I was becoming, what I care about and value, and how I will conduct myself in the classroom with my students.

These three foundations of teaching practice (who I want to be, what I value, and how I will conduct myself) were illuminated by a question that was presented to us students in one of the very first classes of the fall 2020 semester: “What’s happening right now in your experience that will help you to learn more about yourself and who you are becoming?” This provocation led me to discover that, while the COVID-19 pandemic brought to light (and at times magnified) many fears and insecurities I had as a prospective teacher, it also provided me with unique opportunities, time to reflect, and surprising courage that I feel would not otherwise have been afforded and appreciated.

Although I knew I wanted to be a teacher, I had never deliberately pondered the idea of what kind of teacher I wanted to be. I held the core values of being an advocate for children and helping them grow as confident individuals, but I still had no idea what teaching style I was to present. Fortunately, the pandemic enabled me to view my courses on play and curriculum as a big “look into the mirror” to discern what matters and what was important about becoming a teacher.

As I worked through the rest of the course, I realized that this project pushed me to think about my identity as an educator in relation to my students rather than simply helping me understand my students, as I initially thought. Instead, a teacher’s identity is formed in relation to or in relationship with our students: We take what we know about our students and use it to shape ourselves and how we teach. I found that I had to take a step back and evaluate my own perceptions and beliefs about children and who I am in relation to them. Consequently, this motivated me to think about myself as a classroom teacher during the COVID-19 pandemic. What did I know about children that would influence the way I would teach them?

I thought about how children were resilient, strong, and adaptable, possessing an innate ability to learn in nearly any setting. While there were so many uncertainties and fear surrounding them, they adapted to mask-wearing, limited children in the classroom, and differentiated tasks to limit cross-contamination. Throughout, the children embodied being an engaged learner. They did not seem to focus on what they were missing; their limitless curiosity could not keep them from learning. Yet, because young children learn primarily through relationships, they need some place of learning that helps them to have a connection with someone who truly knows, understands, and cares about them. Thus, perhaps more than any lesson, I recognized my relationship with children as more crucial. By having more time to think about children from this critical perspective, I felt in my heart the deeper meaning children held to me.

My compassion for children grew, and a greater respect for them took shape, which overall is what pushed me to see my greater purpose for who I want to be as an educator. The pandemic provided time to develop this stronger vision of children, a clearer understanding of how they learn, and how my identity as a teacher is formed in relationship with children. I don’t think I would have been able to develop such a rich picture of how I view children without an in-depth exploration of my identity, beliefs, and values.

In my curriculum course, I was presented a different problem that helped me reflect on who I am becoming as an educator. This was presented as a case study where we as students were asked the question, “Should schools reopen amidst the COVID-19 pandemic?” This was a question that stumped school districts around the nation, making me doubt that I would be able to come up with anything that would be remotely practical. I now was experiencing another significant consequence of the pandemic: a need for new, innovative thinking on how to address state-wide academic issues. My lack of confidence, paired with the unknowns presented by the pandemic, made me feel inadequate to take on this problem of meaning.

To address this problem, I considered more intentionally and reflectively what I knew about how children learn; issues of equity and inequality that have led to a perceived achievement gap; the voices of both teachers and families; a broader notion of what school might look like in the “new normal”; and the role of the community in the education of young children. Suddenly, I was thinking in a more critical way about how to address this problem from the mindset of an actual and more experienced teacher, one who had never faced such a conundrum before. I knew that I had to design a way to allow children to come back into a classroom setting, and ultimately find inspiration for learning in this new normal. I created this graphic (above) to inform families and teachers why it is vital to have students return to school. As a result, I became an educator. I was now thinking, feeling, and acting as a teacher. This case study made me think about myself and who I am becoming as a teacher in a way that was incredibly real and relevant to what teachers were facing. I now found inspiration in the COVID-19 pandemic, as it unlocked elements of myself that I did not know existed.

John Dewey (1916) has been attributed to stating, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” Learning may begin in the classroom, but it does not end there. Likewise, teaching is not a role, but a way of being. The ability to connect with children and to engage them meaningfully depends less on the methods we use than on the degree to which we know and trust ourselves and are willing to share that knowledge with them. That comes through continually reflecting on who we are in relation to children and their families, and what we do in the classroom to create more meaningful understanding of our experiences. By embodying the role of being an educator, I grew in ways that classroom curriculum couldn't prepare me for. Had it not been for the pandemic, this might not have been possible.

Dewey, J. 1916. Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education . New York: MacMillan.

Alyssa Marie Smith  is currently an early childhood education student studying at South Dakota State University. She has been a student teacher in the preschool lab on campus, and now works as a kindergarten out of school time teacher in this same lab school. In the fall, she plans to student teach in an elementary setting, and then go on to teach in her own elementary classroom.

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‘It’s just what I like to do.’ 82-year-old Canton educator shares her passion for teaching

By Carli Petrus

Click here for updates on this story

    CANTON, Michigan ( WXYZ ) — At 82 years old, one Michigan teacher is still in the classroom — and she doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.

Many students come and go through the halls here at Canton Charter Academy, but Pat Colunga has been here for more than two decades.

“It’s just what I like to do,” said Colunga.

I asked her how she keeps going.

“I think because this is the job evidently that God gave me to do,” she said.

She began her career at Latson Road Elementary School in Howell as a paraprofessional when her daughters were young.

“When the kids went to school, I went to school with them and offered myself to work with the teachers and they were glad to have me,” said Colunga.

Colunga says after working at several schools, she did try to put the pencil down in her fifties.

“I did retire for about two to three months,” she said.

She picked her passion back up again less than a year later in 2000 — and she’s been at the Canton Charter Academy ever since.

“When I walk into a classroom and see her working one on one with students, I know that they’re getting extra support and services,” said Principal Jennifer Conley.

Conley says she is grateful for the passion Colunga brings to work every day.

And whether it’s opening lockers or opening doors, Colunga’s committed to helping any student she encounters.

“I taught fifth grade and one of my girls was a swimmer, she liked to swim and I told her, ‘keep it up, keep up.’ She’d come in and say, ‘Mrs. Colunga, I get so tired.’ I’d say ‘yes, but just think what could happen.’”

That fifth grader was Allison Schmitt, a 4-time Olympic swimmer and 10-time medalist.

“I’m so proud of her and some of the other kids that I have seen pass on, and then they come back to see me and it just makes my day that I had a part in their life for the good,” said Colunga.

Teaching to Colunga is more than just the ABCs.

“I think it really has an impact on them when they ask you questions and you can teach them things besides the reading, writing, and arithmetic,” she said.

Colunga then offered her own words of wisdom.

“Find something to do to help other people and to help make a difference in the lives of others,” she said.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Teacher — The Art of Teaching: What Makes an Outstanding Teacher

The Art of Teaching: What Makes an Outstanding Teacher

• Categories: Teacher

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Words: 852 |

Published: Apr 17, 2023

Words: 852 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

• Great teachers respect students. In the classroom of excellent teachers, everyone's ideas and opinions are valued. Students can express their feelings safely and learn to respect and listen to others. This teacher created a warm learning environment for all students.
• A great teacher will create a sense of community and belonging in the classroom. Mutual respect between teachers in the classroom provides a supportive and collaborative environment. In this small community, there are rules to follow and work to be completed, each student knows that they are an important and inseparable part of the team. A good teacher lets students know that they can trust not only her, but the entire class as well. 
• A great teacher is warm, approachable, enthusiastic and caring. This person is accessible not only to students, but also to everyone on campus. Students know that they can ask this teacher for help to resolve any questions or concerns, and they can even share interesting stories. Excellent teachers have good listening skills and will take time out of their busy schedule to serve those who need them. If this teacher had a bad day, no one knows: the teacher left his personal luggage outside the school gate. 
• A great teacher has high hopes for all students. The teacher found that her expectations of the students greatly affected their achievement; He knew that students would generally help teachers more or less according to their expectations. 
• A great teacher has his own passion for learning and motivates students with his passion for education and course materials. He constantly renews his identity as a professional and is committed to providing students with the highest quality education. This teacher is not afraid to learn new teaching strategies or incorporate new technologies into the curriculum, and he seems always ready to share what he has learned with his colleagues. 
• A great teacher is a skilled leader. Unlike administrative leaders, effective teachers focus on joint decision-making and teamwork, as well as community building. This great teacher conveys this sense of leadership to students by providing everyone with the opportunity to assume leadership roles. 
• A good teacher can 'change gears' and is flexible when the lesson does not work. This teacher evaluates his teaching throughout the course and finds new ways of presenting materials to ensure that all students understand key concepts. 
• A great teacher works continuously with his colleagues. The teacher did not consider himself weak for seeking advice or help, but viewed cooperation as a way to learn from his professional counterparts. A great teacher uses constructive criticism and suggestions as an opportunity for educators to grow up. 
• A great teacher maintains professionalism in all aspects, from personal appearance to organizational skills and daily preparation. His communication skills are exemplary, whether it's talking to an administrator, one of his students, or a colleague. 

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2024 International Education Week Essay Contest

2024 theme: "local to global: celebrating international education at emory"  , for a pdf version of the essay contest flyer, click here ..

Emory University is proud of its diverse and inclusive community, where local perspectives and global insights come together to create a rich educational experience.

Reflecting on the theme "Local to Global: Celebrating International Education at Emory,"  you are invited to write an essay that speaks to the importance that global experiences, people, or perspectives have made on your Emory experience: whether in Atlanta, on an Emory-affiliated experience around the world, or coming to study at Emory from another country.

You may choose (but are not required) to respond to one or more of the questions below.  

• Describe a specific experience during your time at Emory that highlights the impact of international/global education on your personal and academic growth. How did this experience shape your understanding of global issues and cultural diversity?  
• How have you contributed to the diversity of perspectives at Emory through your involvement, identity, and leadership?    
• Describe how you have navigated your cultural identity at Emory.   

Your essay should be between 500 to 750 words and adhere to the contest guidelines. We encourage you to draw upon your identity, personal anecdotes, specific examples, lived experiences, and thoughtful analysis to craft a compelling and insightful essay.

Essay Contest Guidelines:  

• Eligibility: This contest is open to any currently enrolled Emory students (graduate and undergraduate)
• Word Count : 500-750 words  
• Format : Typed, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, in Microsoft Word or an editable document.
• Must be written in English.
• Include a title and a cover sheet with the author's name and contact information
• No identifying information should be within the essay itself.  
• Only one essay may be submitted per person.  
• All aspects of the Emory Honor Code will be enforced, citing any references or copyright materials where relevant.  
• AI Tools (e.g. Chat GPT, Grammarly) can be used to edit a draft, but not to formulate ideas or write an initial draft. If used, AI tools must be credited at the conclusion of the essay.  
• Submission : Submit your essay via the submission form by clicking on the button below  by 11:59 EST on October 6th , 2024.
• Contest Rules: You must read the following rules of the contest to enter. By submitting an essay, you agree to the aforementioned rules.
• Evaluation Criteria : Essays will be judged based on critical engagement with the essay themes, creativity, organization and structure, and adherence to the rules of the essay contest.
• Winners : The review committee will select first place and runner-up graduate student essays well as as first place and runner-up undergraduate student essays. First place essays will receive  $500, and runners-up will receive $250.

Ready to submit your essay? Click the button below: 

Questions : Please reach out to Charlie Hammons ([email protected]) , International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) Senior Associate Director, via email .   

Good luck, and we look forward to reading your essays!  

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Jekyll and Hyde: A* Grade / L9 vs A Grade / L7 Example Essays + Feedback

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Unit of work

Last updated

8 September 2024

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A MEGA REVISION 'JEKYLL AND HYDE' BUNDLE! (Digital + Printable PDFs, PPTs and worksheets!)

This bundle contains everything you need to teach or study Stevenson's novella 'The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' in the form of digital and printable PDF documents. It’s perfect for students aged 14+. **This bundle is currently available at a 50% discount! ** Preview this document for free, to check whether the whole bundle is right for you [Jekyll and Hyde: Character Breakdown / Analysis](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110830) With this bundle, students will be able to: * Understand the structural elements and key moments of the plot * Deepen their knowledge of characters, including understanding the deeper messages behind each one * Integrate the significance of the setting into their analyses and interpretations of the play as a whole * Memorise a range of carefully chosen key quotations for use in essays and analysis * Develop their language, structure and form analysis skills, with guided support and examples * Identify and analyse the thematic and contextual details * Learn approaches to a range of essay question types: discursive, argumentative, close reading * Become confident with extract interpretation and analysis * Develop their knowledge of tragic conventions and apply them to the novella * Expand their critical aptitude via exposure to key critical frameworks and critics’ quotations (for higher-level students) * Write their essays on Jekyll and Hyde, after support with planning help and example A* / top grade model answers Reasons to love this bundle: * Downloadable PDF documents, graphically designed to a high level, PowerPoints (ppts) and worksheets * Visual aids (photographs and drawings) to support learning * Organised categories that simplify the text for students * Print and digital versions - perfect for any learning environment * The unit has everything you need to start teaching or learning - starting with the basic story summary, going right up to deep contextual and critical wider readings * Lots of tasks and opportunities to practice literary analysis skills - students will be guided through writing a literary analysis response to the novella -This is what you’ll get with this bundle: (each document includes digital + printable revision guide + PowerPoint + worksheet)- THE COMPLETE JEKYLL AND HYDE COURSE: 1. [Character Analysis / Breakdown](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110830) 2. [Plot Summary / Breakdown](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110836) 3. [Context Analysis](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110842) 4. [Genre](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110856) 5. [Key Quotations](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110868) 6. [Narrative Voice](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110978) 7. [Setting](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110874) 8. [Themes](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110893) 9. [Critical Interpretation / Critics' Quotations](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110848) 10. [Essay Help](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110934) 11. [Essay Planning](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110950) 12. [PEE Paragraph Practise](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110997) 13. [Essay Practise (Gothic Atmosphere)](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110962) 14. [L9 / A* Grade vs L7 / A Grade Example Essays + Feedback (Frightening Outsider)](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110990) 15. [L9 / A* Grade Essay Example (Tension and Mystery)](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110904) 16. [L8 / A Grade Essay Example + Feedback (Unnatural and Threatening)](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110972) 17. [L6 / B Grade Essay Example + Feedback (Suspicious Atmosphere)](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110984) 18. [L4 / C Grade Essay Example (Secrecy and Reputation)](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110923) 19. [Study Questions / Exercises](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13110884) 20. [Essay Questions + Passage-based Questions](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-13111001) Please review our content! We always value feedback and are looking for ways to improve our resources, so all reviews are more than welcome. Check out our [shop](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/Scrbbly) here.

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