Motivation to Teach
I watched Dangerous Minds last night and was immediately flooded with memories of being of naïve and carefree child. I was in 6th grade when I first watched Dangerous Minds and after watching the movie, I decided I wanted to be Michelle Pfeiffer when I grew up. No, I didn’t want to be Michelle Pfeiffer the actress, I wanted to be Ms. Johnson the teacher. I was filled with ideas of being an inspiring teacher that changed childrens' lives. I wanted to face the challenge of teaching and come out on top. I wanted to be the teacher that connected to all of her students and was passionate about teaching.
When I told my parents that I wanted to be a teacher, they supported the idea. I mean, I guess they supported it the way any parent can support a pre-teen girl; after all, almost every 12-year-old girl wants to be a teacher, vet or nurse. Years later, when I was in college and headed toward the profession of teaching, my dad spoke his truth. He told me, “Liz, you’re so smart, don’t you want to be something better than a teacher?” Ugh! After I got over being angry, I became even more motivated to teach. I would prove him wrong; I would become Ms. Johnson from Dangerous Minds and I would be so satisfied with my job that I’d make him eat his words.
My teacher prep program gave me a minor dose of reality, but I was still motivated and enthusiastic. I was ready to change lives on a daily basis and give teaching 100%.
Here I am, five years later, wondering where the Michelle Pfeiffer in me went. I am tired. I am underappreciated. I work my ass off, but I am no miracle maker. So what do I do? If this class has taught me anything about motivation, it’s that I need to figure out what I really want and start setting some goals.
So here is what I have come to. I am a 6th grade, general ed teacher, but I really like teaching math. I am tired of planning for every single subject. I am tired of feeling like I only have time to make “okay” lesson plans for every subject; I want to be able to make excellent plans in one subject. I think I want to teach older kids. I am going to work on getting an added endorsement in math. I need to pass the Praxis and I need to get more college units in math. I went to the library today and checked out some algebra and geometry books- step one. I know that teaching is the right profession for me, I just have haven’t found the right niche. I need to start making those baby steps toward my bigger goals if I am every going to be happy and get a little of my Michelle Pfieffer back. Here I go!
Liz, I have heard that these days to be a teacher for more than 4 years is to be a "veteran." I think teachers can get burned out or overwhelmed. My friend, who I haven't seen for years and who is a practicing clinical psychologists, gives herself plenty of time off to keep from becoming burned out. She works especially with teens. She loves what she does. You're a 6th grade teacher? Maybe you need to make sure you get lots of me time to recharge your spirit.
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