Example Of Essay On Why And To What End Do I Teach

As a scholar and a constant learner, I am fascinated by the way in which our world works. People from different walks of life interact in unique ways every day, and I wish to determine what causes those specific interactions, and what inspires our reactions to them. Ever since I began my career as a teacher, I have been fascinated by how my students interact with each other, and how that can often inform their learning. I fully believe that establishing a fun, yet productive classroom environment is the best way to go, as the most difficult task a teacher often faces is grabbing the attention of the students in the first place.
Far too often, students can be glib and cynical, doubting the efficacy of school just because they do not want to be there in the first place. They see learning as useless, and may already be disillusioned with the process of education in the first place. In one of my first classrooms, I had a student (for the sake of this story, his name is Spencer) who continually refused to pay attention in class. When challenged, he would become actively combative. He would always mouth off in class – “This is boring” or “I don’t care” nearly reached the status of mantra for Spencer – and he seemed completely unwilling to do anything else but doodle in his notebook. This presented a problem for me, as he always presented himself as a bright kid; it took me awhile to realize that perhaps he wasn’t being sufficiently stimulated as a student. He desired a challenge, and I was not providing one.
This was the most important lesson I took from the class – though I could hardly start a book club for every troublesome student I have, it made me acutely aware of how different people learn differently, and prefer various learning styles. To that end, I always try to figure out the best approach that works for everybody, and work harder towards engagement with the students directly. This gives me a tremendous sense of purpose and fulfillment, as I love nothing more than when students want to learn as much as I want to teach.