What do you want to be when you grow up?

A question asked by many, to many. Children at the young age of 10 are being asked this question, and under the pressure of answering such a complicated question, many young ones aim for the most lucrative professions. Doctors, lawyers, professional athletes, and actors/actresses are some of the popular careers children choose to pursue. Of course this career choice isn’t set for life, but do you find it interesting how very few kids say they want to be a teacher?

I have had the liberty to speak to a few teachers in Heritage about why they became a teacher, and even if it wasn’t their initial career choice, they learned that it was meant for them.

Mrs. Dobbs, an English teacher, at first wanted to be a social worker, but after being influenced by her  fifth grade teacher’s words, she ultimately made the choice to study education.

“That kind of switched things for me, and I realized I like working with young people,” said Dobbs.

While some people are influenced by others, some are also influenced by the change they can make on the world. Mrs. Roach, a P.E teacher, stated, “I enjoyed the fact that I could change kids lives and have an influence on what they become.”

The ability to have an influence on students can also come from the level of education you choose to teach. Mrs. Sibley, a Spanish and Journalism teacher,  enjoys  teaching High School because she views it as “a pivotal time of developmental in life.” Sibley describes this time as a roller coaster. “I wanted to be a part of the ride for lot of people for the rest of my life.”

Teachers have many reasons as to why they teach, and amazingly, they enjoy it too. Even if they work with hormonal teenagers who may or may not agree with them.

It may be a challenge  and very difficult sometimes, but teachers love teaching no matter how hard of a day students may give them.

“Wouldn’t want to do anything else, even on the bad days!” said Sibley.

In the end, teachers should be valued and recognized more than any other profession out there. Yes, doctors save lives, and professional athletes are fun to watch, but in the scheme of things, teachers are some of the most influential people in our lives. They teach us the best they possibly can, and not for the money, but for the satisfaction of knowing that we will grow up kind and respectful.

So maybe the next time you’re asked what you want to be when you grow up, stop and think about the people in your life; about the teachers you have and how they influence you.  Because in the end, they have the “best job in the world,” said  Roach.