My Story

When most kids are asked what they want to be when they grow up, their answer may change several times throughout their childhood, and teen years. Mine? It always stayed the same. I ALWAYS wanted to be a teacher. I was considered the “teachers pet” in my class every year, I was the student that my teachers would bribe to go outside for recess because I never wanted to go. I always had cool ideas, and although my teachers complained that I had too much to say, the “children” that I taught in my “classroom” at home (which consisted of a desk, a dry erase board, and one science textbook) never said a peep. I would spend a lot of my free time as a child “lesson planning” for my students, and once I reached high school I knew that teaching was the route I wanted to go. In the Summer of 2015, after my sophomore year of college at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee I accepted a job at the Waukesha YMCA as a summer camp counselor. I was extremely nervous as it would be the first time I was really interacting with children on a day to day basis. Taking that job ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and that is what ultimately influenced my decision to become a teacher. I created some amazing friendships not only with the staff, but being with the same 30 kids, ten hours a day, for eleven weeks  creates incredible bonds that I will never forget.

After my summer as a camp counselor I was offered to be a part of the before and after school staff at Whittier Elementary School in Waukesha, Wisconsin. I quickly snatched the position and began working with kids in the after school portion of the program. I was lucky enough to have a sneak peak of what being a teacher would be like. I was able to help students with their homework, and also give ideas as to what activities I thought the children would like to do. Whittier is a very low income school, and unfortunately they have a lot of problems behaviorally. However, there is nothing more satisfying then watching a child understand something that they didn’t before especially when you taught it to them. Making a difference in a child’s life is a great feeling. A lot of the children that I worked with at Whittier didn’t have great role models in their life, so for me to be an influence in theirs was an amazing feeling. I have many great stories that I will forever cherish, and I will carry with me forever. I am now a site coordinator at Meadowbrook Elementary School in Waukesha, WI, and although it is a different dynamic then that of Whittier I still make just as much of a difference in the lives of the children around me. Working in schools for the past year, and being in school for quite a while have helped me understand what does and what does not make a good educator. Like we discussed in class, the best educators are the ones who have a sense of humor, know their content, and are passionate about their students learning. I think that humor is a must when working with kids, and I have implemented that in my current position, and plan to carry that with me in my own classroom. The late Robin Williams shows great enthusiasm in his classroom during the short video we watched. It was amazing to see his students go from bored, and uninterested to completely consumed in what he was teaching.

I could sit here and tell all of you what I think makes a great teacher. We could go back and forth all day discussing what we think makes a good teacher. However, there is one opinion that should matter most when it comes to us becoming a great teacher. It comes from the student. I found this great video that I would love to share about what students in Madison Public Schools think make a great educator. I hope you all enjoy!

Arsenault L. (2013 August, 26).”What Makes a Good Teacher?” [Youtube]. Project: Blog.

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