February 8, 2011-- WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A TEACHER?

I love kids. I have always enjoyed being around children, caring for children, coaching, teaching and playing with children. But for some reason when I enrolled at the University of Iowa, I chose a major that had nothing to do with kids-- I chose to become an art major. I took computer art and graphic design classes in high school, and was SURE that was what I wanted to do with my life. I was urged by my teachers in high school to continue on in graphic design, so I began on my journey as a full-time art major. After Western Art and Culture after 1400 and Design Fundamentals, I wasn't so sure I was in the right place. I hated tediously memorizing dates and artists, and dreaded the classroom drained of creativity in Design Fundamentals. After a mini panic attack and a dreadful ride home on the beloved Studio Arts bus, I walked through the Pentacrest rambling to my mom faster than my lips could keep up. She asked what I didn't like about my classes, what I thought I wanted to do, what was missing, who I could talked to... etc. etc., the typical motherly responses. It wasn't until she mentioned the kids I babysit for at home that I realized I missed having kids around. I enjoy interacting and learning from kids, and being the one to help them experience and learn things for the first time.

Eureka! That was it! I wanted to be a teacher! I wanted to be the one to watch faces light up when my students suddenly understood something. But I hate math, I'm terrible at science, and I couldn't never be a writing teacher... so what were my options? I went out on a limb with the teacher idea and added Pre-Elementary Education as my second major. Something made me want to keep art as well, so I thought why not combine the two? It's not that I didn't enjoy making art in my classes, but that I wanted to use art in a different way-- as means of communication and learning with young students. As I began my journey towards the Teacher Education Program, I gained experience in classrooms, continued with my art classes, and realized that I was happy to learn the things being taught to me. Rather than unsure and nervous, I felt like I was right where I was supposed to be.