I hope that my essence as a teacher will be like a gourmet food store. When you walk into a gourmet grocery, the senses are almost overwhelmed by colorful fruits, vegetables, food labels, signs, and people... and that's only what you see. The scents in each section of the store are interesting and curious, whether cheeses or cured meats or wines or freshly baked breads. Perhaps my favorite part about these stores is the samples they invite shoppers to taste, only causing further intrigue about the new food. Not only do I love the layout and sights and scents and smells of gourmet food stores, I always learn something new about myself. I learn that I actually enjoy foods I did not even know existed, or that I am more adventurous with food than in any other area of my life. I learn about different cultures and languages as I discuss the differences between French chevre and Greek sheep's milk cheese with the person at the counter. I feel both excited and enlightened as I talk to more experienced "gourmands" and realize that my eyes are only just being opened to this whole new world of food.
Let me explain how this relates to teaching elementary school children, who probably have no idea what an eggplant tastes like, much less how great it tastes in Ratatouille. I hope that as a teacher, I will be filled with color and life and invite children into the boundless world of education. I want them to be taken in by all the sights, sounds, scents, and tastes of learning. If at first writing a paragraph seems like tasting an artichoke for the first time, I want to show children that they may actually enjoy and come to love writing, just like I have come to love artichokes. Just as anyone can discover treats for their tastebuds or learn from a gourmet food store about how different cultures embrace foods, I believe that every student can find subjects that they enjoy and excel at in school. I cannot wait to find that little spark in each child that makes them come alive inside and help them to feel comfortable enough to take risks in their learning. I want to help children discover that they have talents they never knew about and interests in subjects they did not know existed. Each student can also be a teacher, just as each department of the food store has its own connoisseurs that can explain to everyone else the wonders of what they know.
One of my most enlightening experiences in teaching thus far that embodies this metaphor was when I taught special ed kindergarteners in summer school this past summer. For one month, one teacher and myself were responsible for teaching four special needs children, and I loved every minute of it. I walked in a little apprehensive and nervous the first day, but my heart just melted as I received hugs, laughs, learned new games, from these children. I learned the absolute necessity of constant encouragement and its impact on children's learning, and also the arts of patience and flexibility. I learned that I myself really enjoy being around children with special needs, and that I am much more patient than I imagined when teaching these children. Every lesson had to be taught several ways from new angles, so I was constantly at work, modifying what I had planned in order to better fit each child's needs. This experience unlocked a whole new world for me of what special education is about and how precious these children are. I never thought I would learn so much from them, and though I plan to teach in a general ed classroom, I know that I will continue to seek to learn more about special education in my years as a teacher. I know that every child has special interests and talents, and is able to learn, because I saw little Brysen, still in diapers at age 6 and unable to speak, make progress in one month of summer school in his fine motor skills!
