One day on a crisp Autumn morning when I was seven years old, I was coloring in a worksheet that my second-grade teacher, Ms. A, gave the class. Razzmatazz crayon in hand, Ms. A walked up to my desk, looked at my work and scoffed, “Honey, that’s not how you nicely color in the lines,” she said and aggressively pointed at my mistakes. I remember feeling so defeated in that moment, all because my teacher didn’t like my coloring. This memory is a great example of the affects that teachers can have on their students. Ms. A had the chance to expand her student’s creativity and skill, but because of her personal preference in a trivial activity, she lost that opportunity while I lost my confidence. When students have positive experiences in the classroom, it can completely alter their view of learning. While society has the habit of pointing out individuals’ flaws, I strongly believe that everybody has the potential to be more than who they think they are. Educators can make the biggest difference in developing the future because not only do teachers instill learning on students, but they also craft the best civilian’s students can possibly become in society.
Everything changed for me in the sixth grade, when I had a teacher named Ms. M. She made me feel like the most important person in the world as she pushed me the most in my least favorite subjects and praised me in the ones I succeeded in. Because she used her position as a way of positively changing my view of learning, I decided after that school year to become an elementary school teacher.
Every educator should aim to be more like Ms. M. Personally, my teaching philosophy encompasses the positivity, support, and care that Ms. M showed me and my peers. I believe that educators should pour themselves completely into their work with children, because teaching is the profession that teaches all other professions; there cannot be any doctors, lawyers, or politicians without them first learning their ABC’s. As educators, it is necessary that we teach our students to dream, be confident, try, and not only do well, but also do good in the world we live in. We must encourage every kid in our classroom to take that Razzmatazz crayon and color in any creative way their childish heart desires, in, or outside the lines.
Sasha Howard 