Team Teachers
I have wanted to be a teacher since I was six years old and am fortunate to have parents who always supported that desire. However, other people were not always so encouraging. I had classmates who asked why I would teach if I could be a doctor, lawyer, rocket scientist—anything but a teacher. I usually retorted with the fact that I’d be helping kids become doctors, lawyers, and rocket scientists, but I could never fully explain my bone-deep belief that I need to be a teacher.
As a first-year Secondary Education major, this semester I took a class called “Teacher, School, and Society” (AKA “So You’re Thinking About Going into Education”). Every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:10AM I had the privilege of spending an hour and a half with 34 other people who are just as passionate about teaching as I am. It’s impossible to describe how incredibly cool it is to be in a room of my peers who completely understand why I want to go into education.
So what exactly did I learn in my first ever education class? Answer: A whole lot. This semester in EDUC1020 we discussed equality of educational opportunity, the basics of educational policy, and what makes an effective teacher. My class and I got background clearances, visited two local metro area high schools, and questioned a “teacher panel” of former Peabody grads. We debated religion in schools, single gender classes, accommodations for ELL students, and school vouchers. Although this class was only a small step on my journey to my own classroom, I feel more strongly than ever about pursuing education.
I love my Peabody family within my big Vandy family. From my wonderful professors to my great new friends, I could not be part of a better community.
Much love,
Gabi