An Academic Obstacle that Changed My Life by Laura

An Academic Obstacle that Changed My Life by Laura - June 2016 Scholarship Essay

Over the course of the past few years, I have faced many academic obstacles. Ones which include doing poorly on tests, not understanding the material, and having trouble paying attention in class. This past semester I was enrolled in several Education classes for my major which is Elementary Education. I have always been pretty quick at picking up math formulas and understanding how to solve equations, however, it’s a whole different skill when you are learning how to teach the equations to other people. I realize that teaching does not come naturally to everyone and that it takes many years of practice.
The math that we were learning in our CI220 class wasn’t necessarily hard, but it was difficult to grasp the different methods of teaching each individual problem. I remember sitting in class one day thinking all these terrible thoughts like I chose the wrong major, and that I would never be able to get through my classes. It was on that day that I decided to stay afterwards and have a chat with my teacher. He explained the different methods of solving each equation to me, and he helped me understand that everyone thinks differently and that it is ok if we don’t understand everything right away. It takes time to become a good teacher! I was probably discussing equations with him for around forty five minutes until I had a relatively good understanding of what we were learning.
Now that I think back on all of my years of school, I wish I had taken the time to share my thoughts and connect with my teachers on a more personal level. Knowing what I know now, they would have appreciated me coming into their office and sharing my confusion. They are there to help, and I will always be there to help my students as well! In my own personal opinion, I think that being a teacher could be the most rewarding job. We are educating the youth of America. The future of our country is in their hands. If I can get through to my students that they are important, and to ask questions when they are unsure of things, then I know they will become smarter and stronger human beings.