My Passion: Teaching by Bryahna

My Passion: Teaching by Bryahna - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

I never thought that teaching would be my passion. I always enjoyed babysitting, but I never had any teachers in my life that made me go, "Wow I want to be that for a kid" Then I applied to work at a preschool, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Three years later I'm still working at that preschool and I learned how to be the teacher I wished I had when I was younger.

Through trial and error, I have learned so many things about what it takes to be the teacher kids need you to be. When I first started, I thought everything needed to be equal, but I soon realized equal isn't always fair. There will always be a child who needs extra help and attention, and that's ok. Not all kids respond the same way to different situations. I've learned many techniques to calm a child down during a meltdown, how to share, and how to communicate with them. No two children are the same, and the satisfaction you feel from finally figuring out how to properly help a child is a feeling unmatched by any other feeling I've ever felt.

The teachers and children I've worked with have truly changed my perspective on so many aspects of life. I've learned that you can never be quick to judge, you never truly know what happens in a person's life behind closed doors, and that everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and empathy. Some of the most difficult children I've worked with have quickly become the ones I am closest to. I've had many children in my classroom with difficult home lives, but knowing they can come to preschool for a few hours and escape it all is what keeps me going. I want to be a safe space for a child to come and feel like they can be who they are with no pressures or judgments. I've also realized that for young children it's not just reading and writing that matters, it's the socialization that makes a large impact.

The first years of school are critical for teaching children skills that we do without even thinking. While we find it normal to stand in lines and share, many children develop these skills through socialization in school. Teaching children how to share and take turns is no easy feat. Many don't understand why they can't have what they want the second they want it. We have many ways of teaching children how to share. This is how I learned how important redirection can be in a classroom. Young children can be easily distracted, and this can be used to your advantage. This is just another skill I have learned and cannot wait to further develop when I become a teacher.