Our Survey Says
“I want to be a teacher when I grow up.” How many of us said that sometime in our childhood? Most, we guess. Hopefully we still feel the same way about teaching.
But the last few years have challenged the very fiber of our mettle. COVID, remote learning, quarreling community factions, timid leadership, and limited resources have combined in a way never thought imaginable. Too many among us have sojourned to greener pastures or accepted the lures of retirement early.
Fortunately for those coming back to work, schools seem to be returning to something akin to normal. The winter of our discontent is melting and that passion which drives us is once again emerging.
ESGI and ThinkFives polled hundreds of teachers to find out the Top 5 reasons that are inspiring teachers to teach.
Watch Children Grow and Bloom
There’s nothing more exhilarating than to watch the growth of a student during the school year. Not every seed grows and not every stem flowers, but by the end of the year, a good classroom can look like a conservatory of flowers. Maybe that’s a little too flowery but every teachers knows this is true.
Create the Lightbulb Moment
There’s a reason ThinkFives has a lightbulb as its logo. Whether teaching Kindergarten or AP Physics, watching that student finally understand a challenging topic can brighten an entire room. Some may call it the “Aha” moment and others may say it’s enlightenment, but these moments are certainly rewarding. Maybe when that light bulb goes on, an angel gets its wings?
Be Surrounded by Great Kids
It may seem obvious, but if you don’t love children, this is not the job for you. Spending your workday with children — young and small — sure beats a business office. No two days are ever the same and surrounding yourself with kids also helps you stay young at heart.
Help Struggling Students
While mentoring any student is rewarding, helping a struggling student brings a special joy to your heart. These are the students who are often overlooked the most but need us the most. Providing encouragement, showing patience and doing anything and everything that can be done, is the very definition of teaching.
Make a difference
This may not come as a surprise, but a majority of teachers said making a difference is the top reason they went into teaching — and continue to teach. At the end of the day, at the end of the school year or at the end of a career, there is no higher reward than having made a difference in the life of a child. Savor those notes you get. Cherish those memories when students return to visit you the following years. We may be biased, but few things are more important in life than making a difference.
Source: ESGI-ThinkFives Survey
What reasons motivate you to continue to teach?
Collaborating with amazing fellow teachers!
Making lifelong relationships with students. If you made a connection with a student, sometimes, the student will come back and thank you for everything that you did.
Yes to all of these! It’s all about the students! 😍
To make a difference and work with kiddos who are growing and learning!
learn a lot through teaching!!