“Teaching” - What does it mean to me? Teaching is the ability to give a child hope for the future.  It is the constant reassurance that one’s goals and opportunities can be achieved as long as there is someone who can still believe. It was stated best by my 4^th grade teacher, “I believe in myself. I will succeed.” Every morning, after reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, she would have us recite the classroom motto; and it was one that I carried with me throughout the rest of my life. Teaching should have that very effect on students; taking something from the learning experience and carrying it with them the rest of their lives as a vivid recollection of what made an impact in their life at that very moment. Many educators today have became so overwhelmed with the “changes” in public education that they have forgotten the most important part of being a “teacher” – having a heart for the students, NOT for the technicalities. It’s important in today’s society that students can see their teacher loving his or her career. After all, we are supposed to be the ones who set an example for the expected behaviors, atmosphere, attitude, and overall environment of our classrooms!

                I began my career in education fresh out of high school as a youth mentor at a local elementary school. I was able to quickly recognize the needs of today’s youth – to be pushed to succeed in academics and in life. I also realized how crucial it is that these kids have a solid role model in their life; someone who is able to guide them with understanding, love, tough love, and positivity. I am reminded of a quote by the educational specialist Dr. Larry Bell: “Even on your worst day, you are some child’s best hope.” Teaching is an act of hope and a deed of love. It doesn’t matter how many “changes” we may face in this profession; truth is, that’s life – things change. What does matter, however, is how we embrace the changes and how we let those changes affect our professionalism towards our students and pushing them to be their absolute very best.

                Through my various experiences in the educational setting, I have gained a desire within my heart and a burning passion throughout my being to become the best educator that I can be. I have worked one-on-one with specifically-challenged students during my time as a mentor and a tutor, I have connected with both small and large groups of students as a paraprofessional and truly been able to be a rock for the students when the teachers may have been unable to, and I have had the joy and pleasure of serving multiple classrooms of students throughout my experience as a substitute teacher. However, the most rewarding for me has definitely been my time as a student teacher with WGU. It was through this experience that I realized I don’t want to become “the best that I can be” for myself, but that I want to become the best that I can be for my students. My host teacher truly has inspired me to let my teaching ability come naturally and straight from my heart; she is truly one of the best that I have ever seen and had the privilege to work with, and it’s because she loves her job and she cares about her students. At the end of the day, that is truly what I want someone to say about me.

                Today, education focuses too much on quantity over quality. The education “specialists” and government officials are focusing their attention on the format, delivery, and maximum amount of instruction possible for a certain amount of days before having to meet a benchmark or deadline for a standardized or state-specific test. There’s a great amount of focus on how effective the educator is with classroom instruction, and if he or she is able to meet the given deadlines or benchmarks. And I do believe that each of those things is necessary and essentially beneficial to fully meet the vast diversity of needs for each of our students. However, I believe that such a strong emphasis on these things have taken educators’ focus away from their natural ability to teach effectively and has placed it more on the pressure of having to meet a criteria, in fear of losing their “good standing” as an effective educator already.

                True education can be given by that type of effective educator – delivering the maximum amount of instruction possible in the given format by doing it “this way” or “that way” and meeting deadlines for benchmarks, standardized tests, and state-special tests. But, all of that can be found in a “true” teacher who has a passion for what they do. When the teacher is passionate about his or her career, the students are going to feed off of that positive aurora; they will begin to open their minds and realize their true potential, as long as they know that their teacher loves teaching them and wants to see them succeed. Effective education comes from students opening their minds, and teachers opening their hearts! Personally, I connect with my students by letting them know that I remember what it’s like to be there; I know how it was for me as a student, and I knew what it would take for me to reach every goal that I had set for myself.

                Being the “best” teacher is certainly an impossible task; however, each of us have something that we are the “best” at. And that’s exactly how it is with our students. We should always be aware of their differences in abilities, personalities, opinions, and backgrounds; and we should embrace each of them by creating a very comfortable and open environment. I strive, every day, to be “the best” in my students’ eyes. For me, teaching is not a “job” – I don’t do it because I have to; it is a “career” – I do it because I want to. I remind myself that it was my choice to be in this profession, and it is my goal to strive towards becoming the “very best” by simply being passionate about my career and opening my heart up to my students. No matter what is going on in my life, I always want to make my students the first priority while I am with them. Nothing delights me more than seeing a smile on their faces and hearing my name constantly throughout the day; and just thinking that, maybe, I helped put that smile on their face. I try to walk, every day, as the positive male role model my students need in their life; knowing that I set high expectations for them out of love and respect, but that they are capable of meeting and exceeding those expectations by applying themselves.  I want my students to remember me, later in life, and be able to say, “He inspired me! Mr. Zach believed in me and showed me that I do have a future!” I want them to be able to know that THAT is why I push them to be, and do, their absolute very best.  My goal, as an effective teacher, is higher than just having to meet the expectations of the new evaluation system; my goal is to create a love for learning in each of my students’ hearts, so that when they leave my classroom (both at the end of each day and the end of the year) they are anxious to learn as much as possible and be EXCITED because they have the privilege to earn a better education and have the best future at being able to achieve everything they believe!

                “Nothing less than your best is the plan for success.” – That’s the motto that will be displayed in my classroom, and each of my students will recite it every morning to start off our daily routine. My best is what I will give my students every day. Why? I care about them. Teaching is my passion. Some child needs me, and it is my duty to try and make a difference in his or her life.