What career is the steppingstone to all others? None other than teaching. This is the career that makes all others possible. Teachers help students in so many ways in addition to academics in the classroom; they not only teach the required material, but most help teach students how to live. To teach is to give of yourself.

I want to be a teacher, and am involved in a program called the Teaching Professions Magnet. This is my second year and I am learning valuable skills that will help me be an effective teacher. This program helps us gain a better understanding of teaching and, most importantly, how to better accommodate all students to maximize their learning experience. Everyone has a particular learning style, whether through seeing, hearing, or touch.

Another awesome aspect is being in the classroom. Most college students don’t get this opportunity until their sophomore or junior year. We observe during our first year and intern in a school during the second semester. In the year and a half that I’ve participated I have had one long-term internship and three short-term experiences in elementary, middle, and high schools. My favorite is high school because teachers have a lot more freedom.

I live in Louisiana, one of the lowest paying states for teachers. Most of the teachers I know wish their salaries were higher. While higher pay might attract more to teaching, most teachers do not work for the money but because we want to change lives. We hope to help our students become better people. My goal as a teacher will be to inspire successful, good people. The future will be filled with caring, world-changing teachers.