Being raised in a household with two parents who have both worked in mental health and education, I knew I wanted to help the world in some way. I was not quite sure how yet, but I felt like it was my calling to somehow improve the lives of others. Throughout my life, I have heard both my mother and father tell me stories about the people they have helped, and that they knew when they left this earth, it was far more valuable to have improved the lives of others than to have made a lot of money not helping those around them. This led me to my first real step towards teaching. I took a position Job Coaching through Easter Seals. I worked mainly with teenagers who had various mental handicaps from crippling anxiety to autism to bipolar disorder. I would help them with on site training, positively giving constructive criticism on proper social norms, eye contact, language, and work ethic. This job exposed me to working with people at all different levels. It taught me to appreciate that each person is at a different level, and to never take for granted how blessed …show more content…
Substitute teaching is something that has been floating around in the back of my head for the last several years, but I had not put any serious thought into it. It came time to return to that idea, and check out life inside the classroom. At first, I was rather nervous because I was not sure what to expect. Would I know what to do? Could I control a large classroom? What was I supposed to do with the students all day? Many thoughts raced through my mind as I began subbing. I still remember how adorable those 4th graders were on my first day, after locking my keys in the car because I was so excited to get to the assignment. It was a really interesting feeling being left alone with the students; I got to help lead them through all of their assignments and become a part of their lives for that