I suppose there are a lot of things that have driven me to become an elementary education major. When I was young I was constantly being told that I was bossy. At the time I didn't appreciate it very much at all, but as I got older I learned that bossiness could be used for good. I was always fascinated with children, the way they grew and developed, and how they changed as they got older. I was always eager to take the lead in projects and show other people how to do things, even when it wasn't really appreciated. In short, I was the kind of kid who got called bossy-flossy by kids and adults alike, but always acted way older than I needed to.

A few years into elementary school I realized that what I really wanted to do someday was to be just like my teachers. I loved school, and I would come up with ideas for how to set up my classroom some day. My desire to be a teacher never really waivered as I continued my education through middle school or high school. This surprised me because so many kids change their minds about what they want to be when they grow up at least once before they get to college. I did a lot of babysitting in middle school and high school, taught vacation bible school, taught dance classes, and did some tutoring, all of which kept my interest in teaching alive.

I knew that I would have to come up with an eloquent way of talking about why I want to become a teacher, but it's hard to say what makes me different from all the other kids that decide they want to do the same thing. One of the reasons that sounds cliche is that I really do have a desire to shape young minds. The development of a child from an infant that can't communicate to a unique person with opinions and emotions is unbelieveably fascinating. A child has so much to gain from a well-educated educator that cares about their profession. I want to be able to provide children with the skills to succeed in life, but also to enjoy and appreciate the world around them. Education is about more than just what we learn in books, it's about applying what we learn to the real world. I want to help children's creativity flourish. I want to see the lightbulb over a children's head when they understand a new concept. I want to make it possible for a child to have the same dream I did to become an educator. In my case, I also see myself participating in the education of children beyond the classroom. I feel that at some point in my career I would be a good candidate for an administrative position. The politics in schools can be overwhelming, but well-informed administrators are essential to the maintenance of a school. I feel my leadership and organizational skills could be useful in an administrative position as well as in a classroom. However, I also feel that administrators should really understand what it's like to be a teacher, so that they can rule fairly as a supervisor.

Basically, I love kids and I want to make them love learning. In some ways, it's as simple as that.