Why did I Become a Teacher?

I haven’t always wanted to be a teacher. In fact, it wasn’t until my junior year in college that I actually seriously considered being a teacher. I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer, since I was a little girl. During my second year of college I was actually in full preparation mode, for law school. I was studying for the LSAT, staying on top of my grades, interning at a law firm, etc. But, in my junior year of college I started hearing more about Teach For America and began researching the organization. I began meeting with recruiters, networking with alumni and ended up being a campus recruiter for them. My targeted audience was Black people. I did most of my presentations to black student organizations on campus, Black Greek organizations, etc. Then, during my senior year I applied for the program and was accepted into my top district choice, Baltimore City. I selected Baltimore City because I wanted to teach in a challenging district, one in which I could truly feel like I was making a difference.

Teach For America wasn’t my first run in with thoughts of being a teacher, however. During my freshman and sophomore years of college I volunteered with this on campus department, the Urban Exchange Center, and served as a math tutor through their SUCCESS Math Enrichment Program. We tutored students at the local Boys and Girls Club. Each college student was paired up with 1-2 students in elementary school. I was assigned to a student by the name of Carloshia Taylor. Carloshia was a first grader and was “something else”. When I asked the facilitator of the program why he made the two of us a pair he told me it was because she was the most difficult student of them all and that I was probably the only one who could handle her. I took this as a complement.

“Difficult” was an excellent way of describing Ms. Taylor. She would come to the tutoring site, one of our on-campus computer labs, on Thursdays and I’d tutor her in math. The program was structured to use technology to help students enhance their math skills and after the instruction was completed we’d engage in math computer-based math games with the students. Carloshia always wanted to do things backwards, she wanted to play first and work later. Although I never capitulated she seemed to always come with the intent of doing more playing than working. Each time I had to put my foot down, make some sort of deal with her that usually included her getting a certain number of problems correct before playing games, etc. There was never a dull moment with this young lady.

On one Tuesday the program’s facilitator went to the Boys and Girls Club to pick up that day’s group of students to be tutored and Carloshia was at the center as well. Although Carloshia was assigned to be picked up on Thursdays only, but she begged to go with the group of Tuesday students. When her request was denied she cried long and hard, I was told. This let me know that I had truly reached the little girl who most people didn’t want to work with because of her being a challenge. I had an epiphany and began to think about how education could be turned around if every student had an educator who they could relate to, who inspired them to work hard, who they connected with.

The high school I went to also played a major role in my final decisions to pursue education. For most of my life growing up in Chicago, I attended my neighborhood (zone) elementary school, Willa Cather Elementary School. I can remember us having school police and walk-through metal detectors in the school hallways since I started, in kindergarten. Each year it was more and more difficult for me to learn in Willa Cather. Some of the teachers were extremely lazy, I had one in particular never moved from her desk. Students fighting would get in the way of classroom learning, as would other student disruptions. The school’s dilapidated facility and faulty climate was “getting old” to me, really fast and by my 7^th grade year I was over it. I had a white art teacher named of Mr. Rand, and Mr. Rand told me about two of his close friends, founders of a school within a school, on Chicago’s south side. These two ladies were starting a charter school. As a 7^th grader I began to research Perspectives Charter School (PCS) and just the overall concept of charter schools period. At this time charter schools were just beginning to become popular and the idea of a smaller class setting, qualified teachers, private management and partnerships with corporations seemed intriguing to me. I presented the idea to my mother, begged her if we could look into it further, and she agreed. Soon after I interviewed at Perspectives and was accepted for the fall of 1998, entering the 8^th grade.

I loved everything about Perspectives. Things were very structured, unlike my previous school setting. The teachers seemed to actually CARE about me. I had access to cell phones, email addresses in the event that I needed extra assistance on homework or projects. My teachers would come in on Saturdays to provide extra support to students who needed or wanted it. They not only cared about us as their students at the current time, but they expressed a great interest in us being life-long learners and productive members of society. Everything we did at PCS I could relate to my post-secondary life. The connections were real and very apparent. I felt so valued, like I was being taught by my family members.

My favorite teacher at PCS was Ms. LeVoy, who I still speak to as a 25 year old teacher in my 4^th year of teaching high school. Ms. LeVoy was an English teacher and the best English teacher I’ve had in my ENTIRE life. I work my ass off daily to be as great as she is. I can’t wait until the day in which I truly feel that I’ve reached my peak as an English teacher, to become the next Ms. LeVoy. I already loved reading, but she made me love it even more which of course inspired me to become a better writer. The teachers at PCS had a natural passion for teaching and went above and beyond in the classroom, I had never experienced anything like it prior to going there for grades 8-12. PCS was a school that worked not simply because of its philosophy, but because of the teachers.

My experience at PCS further inspired me to think about pursuing teaching as a career. I want to provide students with the educational opportunities and experiences that I was exposed to as a student at PCS. Although I may not spend my entire life as a classroom teacher, education will always be at the forefront of my priorities. I truly believe that education is a societal responsibility; it takes a village to raise a child. The more people we have invested in education, the sooner we’ll be able to close the achievement gap, and not a moment sooner.

-Veronika Hayes

Veronika.hayes@gmail.com