Coleman_Tell_Step2

__**Past**__

At first I hated kindergarden, I cried everyday and did not want to go. My parents knew this was not normal because I was genuinely a happy child and did not cry when they brought me to preschool. I ended up being switched into a new kindergarden class, Mrs.Kenny being the teacher. The crying stopped and I began to love school again. Mrs. Kenny began to teach us the beginning steps to reading in kindergarden giving us a basis for first grade. In first grade, students are supposed to learn how to read, however my new teacher Miss. Martin did not teach us. By the time I got to second grade my mother was concerned I had not learned how to read. She hired Mrs. Kenny, my Kindergarden teacher to tutor me and teach me how to read. Mrs. Kenny began to come to my house once a week, every week. I looked forward to our weekly sessions. She became more then a teacher to me; she became my friend. Mrs. Kenny got moved up to teach third grade so I had her as a teacher again in third grade. The tutoring stopped this year since she was my teacher again. When the third grade was over, and I moved on to fourth grade, she started tutoring me again, not because I needed the help but because I liked having her around. We started our weekly sessions again. She tutored me all the way through fifth grade. The summer before first grade, Mrs. Kenny gave me my first birthday present, a sunflower. This symbolized to me, the growth of our relationship over the years. Each summer following Mrs. Kenny and I exchanged birthday presents. She became my role model and inspiration for becoming a teacher. Mrs. Kenny changed my life. It wasn't about how she taught me to read, she taught me some of life's most important lessons. She is a ginormous part of why I choose to become an Elementary Education teacher. Every year, the seniors in high school get to chose a teacher from each school in our district to receive an award of recognition called "Teacher of the Year." As a senior class we chose Mrs. Kenny. I was lucky enough to present the award to her myself. As you can see, Mrs. Kenny is a teacher who has traveled throughout my childhood with me. She believed in me when I did not believe in myself. When I told Mrs. Kenny I would be attending Bloomsburg University, her face lit up with a huge smile. She looked at me and said, "My brother went there!" It was then that I knew I had made the right decision to attend Bloomsburg University because yet again she would be with me along my travels. This is one of the most important moments in my life because as you can see it is a never ending cycle. When you form a strong enough bond with someone, it can last a lifetime. I just never knew that bond would be with my Kindergarden teacher.


 * __Present__**

About a month ago, I started thinking about my decision to become an Elementary Education teacher. I was constantly questioning myself. Asking questions such as, "Do I really want to be a teacher?" or "What could I do if I didn't become a teacher?" I starting thinking about all of my options of other career paths I could take instead and nothing stood out to me. There was nothing I could see myself doing for the rest of my life. After sitting there contemplating this, a voice came into my head. It was my grandmothers and she was saying, "You are meant to be a teacher. I can see you being an amazing teacher." She had said this to me a couple months prior. It was then that it clicked that I was meant to be a teacher and I stopped second guessing myself. I did want to help little kids. I started to get all excited about teaching all over again. I made an appointment to meet with my advisor. Sitting in the chair in her office, we discussed the options of concentrating in both math and english. I also made the decision that I might possibly want to go to graduates school and focus on becoming a reading specialist or teacher. This was the moment when I realized this was something I not only wanted but needed to do.

__**Future**__

The first time I influence a student and see that light bulb go off while I'm helping them; I can't wait for that moment as a teacher. I want to be more then a teacher to my students. I want to help my students the way Mrs.Kenny helped me. I would like my students to look back years later and remember that moment when I helped them or to be that teacher they always remember. I love helping people and I can't wait to wake up each day knowing something I do can make a students day.