Where I'm Supposed to Be

I know that teaching in a high school classroom is where I'm supposed to be.

It's always hard to say whether you are in the right major when you're in college. At least for me, I feel like its hard to know for sure that you are in the right major until you actually get into the workplace. That kind of stinks because at that point you've paid all that tuition money (or gotten all those loans) and taken all those hours of classes just to find out that you don't enjoy what you thought you wanted to do.

I haven't been completely sure that teaching would be for me. I've wanted to teach, but after not getting to do very much teaching in a high school classroom while at Lipscomb, it was hard to say for sure. I haven't gotten to teach in my class for student teaching yet, but a few things have helped me already see that this is where I belong...

1. After interacting with some of the kids in my classes, they are really fun to be around and make the day enjoyable! I realize that it's not all fun and games and that you have to learn while in school, but just being around these teenagers makes my day so much better. I just love working with them!
2. I went down and helped Mrs. Jarrell, the biology teacher, today. She is so much fun! We were helping the kids with their labs. I just loved interacting with the students! They made me feel like I'd been in that classroom for a whole year. It's hard to put into words, but after just being down there in that room and helping the students with their labs, I knew teaching in a high school classroom is where I'm supposed to be.
3. I also see the relationships that my mentor teacher, Mr. Wright, has developed with his students and how much the students love Mrs. Jarrell, and it makes me excited to jump in and develop those same relationships. Now, I know that you can't be the students' friends. I understand this, but there's a difference in being their friend and being an adult mentor that they can look up to and trust to care about them. I am ready to be that adult! I'm ready to display Christ in my actions towards every teenager that comes into my (future) classroom. I've been on the flip side and I can tell you that the way Dr. Wells and Coach B and a few of my other teachers have cared for me and really invested time into a healthy student teacher relationship with me has had an impact on me that will last forever. This is the kind of impact I want to have on my students. This drive helps me know that I am called to be here!

I am SO excited to get started teaching next week! I can't wait to be in a true teacher's position where I can begin to develop good relationships with the students in my class. May God bless my time at MLK with these high schoolers as I search for ways to serve them and love them.

Called to serve,

Katelyn