Blog Post #9

I have enjoyed every moment of this class. Well maybe not the moments when I realized I didn't get an assignment done, but sometimes you just have to deal with it. I am really glad that I took this class when I did. I have mentioned that I had some doubts going into my service learning, that I was unsure  if teaching was something that I really wanted to do. Mostly because it isn't the highest paid job, there are long hours, and little appreciation. But helping in the classroom, talking with other teachers and going throughout this course, it has helped me realize that there are a lot of other benefits that you get out of teaching than those mentioned above.

There isn't a lot of money to be made in teaching; at least lower grade teaching such as elementary education. Some times there might be a lot of money spent out of pocket in teaching. But in trade there are so many benefits to receive. All of that extra money that is spent to decorate a classroom, make a lesson a little more interesting, adding books to the class library, or bringing a small incentive for students who do well help push your students to be better and learn more. It is adding a little something extra that helps those students.

The hours are long, as have been mentioned in this last section, and a lot of the time it goes unnoticed with little appreciation. There thankfully are parents that help show appreciation to teachers, but I don't think students ever realize how much time is put into everything for them. I didn't realize there so was so much time until just recently while watching my friends who are teachers.

There may be some downfalls that I have mentioned, but there are downfalls in every job. The best part about teaching is those are things that easily can be given up in trade for a smile from a child. Successfully figuring out a problem that they have been struggling with, or moving up a reading level. Some of the things that I really enjoyed while I was sitting in a classroom was how much the students love their teacher! That right there is more than enough!