Afternoon Pages: "Dear Sonia"

Dear Sonia,

As I began to read your book Why We Teach Now, I had to ask myself why I wanted to teach at this moment in history. The education system in the United States, while successful in some ways, needs to do a lot of work in order to get it where it should be. As it goes through reform after reform, new standardized tests each year, and the mistreatment of teachers and their innovations, it seems to be the wrong time to be choosing this career.

Except, it’s not. It’s exactly the right time.

Why do I want to be a teacher now? I want to be a teacher now so that I can bring new ideas and innovations to the realm of education. Even though my impact may not be nationally known, if its some sort of positive influence (whether that be on a student, a fellow teacher, or a future teacher), I’ll consider myself successful. I want to be a teacher now and inspire my students. My hope is that my students will leave my classroom having a love for learning. I want to be a teacher now.

Now can’t come soon enough,

Allison