Being an Educator

Nowadays it is very rare to find students preparing to be educators. It is for this reason that on many occasions I have come across questions and phrases like "Why education?" "You're not going to make money by being a teacher." To which, on many occasions, I did not know how to answer, but now that I have grown and have continued my formation as a future educator, I answer that my desire to be an educator is not governed by monetary reward but rather by my desire to contribute and transform the society that we live in. My enjoyment of teaching and the joy that comes from seeing that my students have learned something that I have taught them.

Being an educator carries an immense responsibility. Educators are responsible for the formation and education of the future generation. They are people who will leave a mark in the lives of their students as other educators have done with them. I have been blessed to have been influenced by the best teachers during my life trajectory. I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to learn under amazing teachers. I aspire to be like my kindergarten teacher Ms. Luli, a patient educator and caregiver who taught me lovingly despite the difficulties she faced in her classroom. Like my third grade teacher Ms. Mari Donis who pushed me to keep going and do my best. Like my elementary English teacher, Ms. Toledo, who taught me what it feels like to love a subject matter. Like my math teacher Ms. Echevarria who explained to me what I didn't understand over and over again until I did.

I believe that being an educator requires a vocation because it does not have a great monetary reward. However, we see the payoff in seeing our students grow and succeed. An educator must be a guide and a role model. They must fully know the subject matter that they teach and be a facilitator for their students. They must provide dynamic and creative instruction for the enjoyment and learning of their students. An educator must understand that there is a wide diversity, be it functional, racial, cultural or other. They must know them and work to help their students reach their full potential taking into account the social context in which they live.

An educator must have strongly established values. They must have love in their heart, love what they do, love their students and do their best for them. They must be fair when evaluating according to the population they teach. An important value that they must have is respect. Either towards students, their co-workers and towards the parents or guardians of their students. It is important to maintain a connection with parents and establish communication in order to work with parents on concerns that may arise. An educator must keep in mind that he does not know everything and that just as his students learn from him, he could learn from them. An educator must be empathetic, they must take into account that each student goes through different circumstances and/or situations that could in one way or another limit their performance or development in a classroom. With this in mind they could work to support them in an appropriate way.

As a future educator, I consider that I know and I have the desire to learn with my students most of the qualities that an educator must have. There is always room for improvement and I still have years of study that will help me develop the qualities I still need. I will work hard to be the best educator I can be and offer my best to my students. I will educate with love, with passion, dedication and I will offer each of my students the best of me. Allowing the students a healthy learning process while promoting their development.