Roll call tell me a little bit about yourself, what grade you teach/want to teach, and why you decided to teach. :D

My name is Heather...I am going to be a first year teacher this August (5th grade) I could not be more excited....

I have always always wanted to be a teacher...since I was in Kindergarten...started out because I like the overhead and the teacher books...but now its because I truly love working with kids...nothing is better than working with a struggling student and seeing them in their "aha" moment when they get it....

My name is Gianine and I teach Kindergarten. I'm just about to start in a new district. I love the way it feels when a child actually learns something new and they get excited over it. You know...the lightbulb moments...it's the best. I love kids and it gives me a chance to sometimes still be silly like a kid and not be judged for it.

My name is Gillian. I'm a history major with a British Concentration. I haven't decided on whether or not I want to teach at the H/S or collegiate level yet.

Hi! I teach vocational ed, specifically Teen Living. It's the middle school modern-day evolution of Home Economics. My certification is in Work and Family Studies, which is a K-12 endorsement, but I'm presently teaching grades 6-7-8.

As I was retiring from the military I wanted to go into Adult Education, and even took some graduate-level courses in search of The Ultimate Job and career. My undergrad degree is in Management and my master's is in Public Administration, but I accumulated a crapload of other credits through CLEP tests (I took every one I could think of before I retired), including quite a bit of Psychology and Human Development stuff. The degrees, plus my CLEP credits and my military experience (20+ years of Navy medicine) made me eligible for this certification.

After retirement I did the civil servant-contractor thing for a while and discovered how tenuous contracted government work really is, and ultimately got laid off. My husband had gotten his teaching certificate four years earlier, just after he retired, so he was already teaching in our school division. I lucked into a career-switcher program that was run by my school district (read: free). I got certified in Work and Family Studies and was hired to teach Teen Living at our city's alternative middle school.

My students range from merely "troubled," to hard-core criminals with felony convictions. Age-wise they're 11 to going-on-17; many of them are at least one grade behind their age group because of disciplinary and/or truancy issues. At first I wasn't sure this would be the place I'd want to work, or the kids I'd want to work with, but after two years there, I really love it now. I am a good fit for this environment and it's a good fit for me, personality-wise and temperament-wise. I love these kids, and I truly enjoy teaching them real-life skills. My co-workers (teachers, assistants, administrators, custodians, cafeteria workers, everyone) all seem to feel the same way about our school and our students, so that makes it even better.

Many of my students were forced to be self-sufficient at an early age, so they enjoy learning different ways to prepare meals (and they like to eat). I have them sewing (boys, sewing's just like driving- you control the speed with your foot and the direction with your hands) simple projects that they can keep or give away as gifts, and we usually get them involved in a service-learnign project.

In some ways my classroom is the opportunity for these kids to be kids; so many of them lost that chance years ago..... but in other ways, I'm preparing them for life as an adult by showing them the real-life applications of all that reading, writing, math, science, and history they've been learning all these years. This is not at all what I thought I'd be doing when I got into teaching, but I love it, I really do.

I'm doing something that means something to someone. And I get to do it every day. It's so cool.

Thank you so much for sharing!

I am school right now working towards my ECE AA to transfer to four year college and get my BA.

I hope to teach Kindergarten but will be qualified to teach from infancy - third grade. I love the idea of setting a solid foundation for children. Early education is the first experiance that children get in the formal education arena, so to me it is vital that it be a good experiance for them. I really hope to reach them in at least one way so that they can find some part of learning that they really enjoy and that will help them in their future learning experiences.

I teach Special Education. My degree is in Varying Exceptionalities K-12, so I can teach any grade, any subject, and any disability.

Right now I teach 8th grade English in a self contained classroom. I never saw myself teaching middle school, only elementary, but I LOVE it. I don't know if I ever want to go back to elementary school.

After my husband finishes school I want to go back to school for my Master's degree in either Child Psy. so I can still work with special needs students, OR Literature so I can be a curriculum specialist for the district.

I am an instructional asst in a elem school & I am currently working in a Resource room with special ed/edd kids-Previously I only worked in mainly K-5 but now at this school, I am working with K-6 & the kids are so sweet & in a much smaller classroom setting which allows alot more 1 on 1

I teach 3rd grade. This will be my second year. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was in first grade, because I looooooooved my teacher and wanted to be just like her. And cause I was all about the overhead, and having so many cool pens. :) Over the years, my reasoning has matured. I think everything boils down to what many of you have said. When you see a student "get" something for the first time, especially when they have been struggling, it makes it all worth it.

I questioned my desire to be a teacher a lot last year. A lot of it probably has to do with the fact that it was my first year and well, everyone who has taught knows how that goes. But looking back at the year now, I realize that there is nothing else I would rather be doing, and I am soooo excited for school to start. I want to meet all my little ones, even though I got my roll and can't pronounce half of their names.

I teach 3rd grade. This will be my second year. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was in first grade, because I looooooooved my teacher and wanted to be just like her. And cause I was all about the overhead, and having so many cool pens. :) Over the years, my reasoning has matured. I think everything boils down to what many of you have said. When you see a student "get" something for the first time, especially when they have been struggling, it makes it all worth it.

I questioned my desire to be a teacher a lot last year. A lot of it probably has to do with the fact that it was my first year and well, everyone who has taught knows how that goes. But looking back at the year now, I realize that there is nothing else I would rather be doing, and I am soooo excited for school to start. I want to meet all my little ones, even though I got my roll and can't pronounce half of their names.


This past school year was my first as well. The last day of school my friend looked at me and said, "Well, your first year is over! It's all down hill from here. The first year always feels like 3. Enjoy the rest."

And it's true...it felt like such a looooong year. A lot of learning and running in circles at times because you are starting from scratch. I don't feel like collegep prepares you for half the stuff you encounter :lol Especially in my area of teaching.

Glad you made it through your first year!!! Hang in there!!!

I'm Melissa, and wont be teaching until I'm 100% sure my husband doesn't need his GI bill anymore. I have a an associates of Art & Design and when I'm sure of the future for my husband, I'll be going to get my BA in Art Education and teaching art to any level available. The younger kids just makes messes and we just call it art, but to teach depth and perspective to a high school or 7-8th grade student who actually wants to know-- is a gift, not everyone wants art in schools anymore, they think it's a waste of the budget, but art is an outlet whether you like it or not-- I've ALWAYS looked forward to art class.

i have a dream of becoming an art teacher and/or art therapist. i think it would be really neat to work with developmentally disabled children, but sometimes i think it would be neat to work with high school kids. both groups have difficulty expressing their feelings and i always believed that art would assist them in that capacity.

I am training to be a Physical Education teacher. I have 27 credits to go before I can student teach. I have always loved sports and being active and children so I figured what better way to combine the two. I really hope to make a difference in the children I work with.

Hi I'm Erinn. I am currently in my fourth year a college. I am going for a double major in Elementary Education and Special Education. I would really love to either teacher first grade or high school CD.
I have always wanted to be a teacher. I have never changed my mind about teaching at all in the 21 years I have been alive. Seeing children learn and grow is a wonderful experience and I wouldn't pass that oppurtunity up in a lifetime!

Jill here

I teach 8th grade special education...I am going into my 4th year of teaching...

I like teaching special ed because it is a challenge and I love challenges...

This past school year was my first as well. The last day of school my friend looked at me and said, "Well, your first year is over! It's all down hill from here. The first year always feels like 3. Enjoy the rest."

And it's true...it felt like such a looooong year. A lot of learning and running in circles at times because you are starting from scratch. I don't feel like collegep prepares you for half the stuff you encounter :lol Especially in my area of teaching.

Glad you made it through your first year!!! Hang in there!!!



Thank you! I seriously felt like I was treading water the entire year, just trying to make it through each day. I feel like this year will be so much better because I actually have a clue of what is going on, what is to come, and what is expected of me.

I hope what your friend said is true, about the first year seeming like 3 (in comparison to what is to come). Looking back, it flew by, but there were times when I thought our next break would NEVER get there. I was incredibly stressed out all year long, and so I'm really hoping this year will be at least a little bit less stressful.