Hey folks! I’m linking up with The Teaching Tribune (again 😉 ) for another edition of Throwback Thursday. This week, we’re throwing it WAY back to when I was in the grades I teach.
Now, since my blog is geared toward primary grades, I decided to throw in my kindergarten and first grade pictures. I couldn’t find second, unfortunately.
Awww! Aren’t I cute. 😉 FYI- I cropped out my sisters on the left because I wasn’t sure if they’d want their early 90’s looks posted online.
Now, we’re also supposed to share a little bit about when we decided we wanted to be a teacher.
I grew up in a family of teachers. My dad, grandfather, aunt, uncle, and all 3 of my sisters are teachers. (My one sister is actually completing her first year of teaching as it was a second career choice.) When I was little, I said I would never, ever become a teacher. I was the youngest of 4 girls and spent my whole childhood trying to stand out and be my own person.
So, what did I want to do? Well, I wanted to be a famous actress/singer/dancer. I was in a ton of plays and musicals growing up at school and church. I even went to drama camp every summer.
Here’s a picture of me from a church play when I was about 10. I know you wish you has my outfit. I was playing a doll and fun fact, the elastic in these pants was old and not very supportive and my mic pack kept making them slip. My pants totally started to fall down during a performance… I was mortified.
So, I bet you’re wondering how I became a teacher or you’re googling that awesome outfit I’m wearing so you can have one too. Finish googling. I’ll wait…
Well, flash forward to high school. I was still super involved in drama and still dreaming of being a famous actress/singer/dancer (despite the fact that I never took 1 dance lesson and had the rhythm of a one legged rhino). I attended a really tiny, Christian school that went from K-12. During study halls in 11th-12th grade, you could sign up to help out in elementary classrooms. I figured it would look good on my college application, so I decided to do it.
I was assigned to a 4 year old kindergarten class that was taught by my former 3rd grade teacher (who happened to be my favorite elementary teacher). I absolutely loved every minute of it from the first day to the last. I felt so comfortable in a classroom, enjoyed spending time with the kids, and felt a sense of peace and belonging. The teacher also pulled me aside after a while and told me that she thought I was a natural teacher. She encouraged me so much and it meant a lot coming from her.
When it was time to really decide what to do for a living, I had no choice. I was born to teach, despite the fact that I swore I would never, ever become a teacher.
I guess the fact that almost everyone in my family has decided to teach shows it’s in our blood, or we’re all a little nuts. 😉 Either way, I love what I do, even when it’s tough, and I could not see myself doing anything else with my life.
Why did you become a teacher? Leave a comment below.
And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Throwback Thursday Posts over at TTT!
