My Thoughts On Becoming A Future Educator

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

When I came into CU Boulder as a freshman, I had the goal of leaving as a teacher. It was what I wanted since I was in high school — I liked working with kids and I knew that education was something I was very passionate about.  However, as I started my Junior year coursework, I began to have doubts about my abilities. 

I’m starting to learn about the more nitty gritty side to education — the science of reading, how assessments work, how to get an IEP, and more. I’m beginning to realize that becoming a teacher is a lot of responsibility. You are making sure that 25+ kids a year know how to read and write at state standards. A lot of weight sits on your shoulders. The decisions you make about a kid can affect them forever. I started to get overwhelmed thinking about how I would be able to handle this. 

In my fourth week of school, I started to go to an elementary school two days a week. As I started working with kids and getting to know my school, my anxiety eased. The kids are really kind and I felt comfortable being in the classroom. Some moments were difficult. I did not always have the answers for kids nor did I always know the best way to help them. I did not want someone to think I was making their kids fail because I was bad at it.

What really helped me the most during this time was getting to talk with my mentor teacher. Asking her questions and hearing her wisdom gave me a new perspective on education I had never had before. She gave me tips and told me methods that really helped in the classroom. Most of all, she let me know that no one ever knows it all. You will make mistakes as a teacher. The best you can do is move forward. You have to keep working hard for your students. You will get better, and your teaching methods will too.

It’s okay to feel unsure or scared of the future, but life is just learning to be comfortable in being scared. I got so overwhelmed with my thoughts that I forgot why I wanted to teach in the first place. I have a place in the classroom and I have the skills I need to be successful. It may be scary to think about the future, but I’m ready for wherever it takes me.