Why I teach...

School is more than just academics. It’s more than a calculus test. It’s more than building and using new vocabulary. It’s more than the ability to memorize dates or historical events.

For teenagers, it’s life.

It’s where they start and end their day. It’s where they eat. It’s where they make friends and form enemies. It’s where they begin defining and making sense of the world they live in.

To them, it’s everything.

And it matters. It matters to them. And as an educator, it matters to me.

I believe in my students. I believe they are capable. At times, I believe for them when they are unable to believe themselves.

I have seen and witnessed growth on so many different levels while student teaching at Carmel High School.

I have seen quiet students speak boldly. I have seen loud students listen. I have seen failing students pass. I have seen passing students helping others. I have seen lives changed.

Maybe teaching has less to do with test scores and graded papers than it has to do with continuously building positive relationships with kids who unknowingly need an adult advocate. Maybe it’s about caring even when you can’t see the end result.

Maybe it’s about witnessing the progress of one class or one student. One day at a time.