As a man who dearly loves the Word of God and also enjoys being around kids daily, I am drawn with excitement toward teaching. It has been a goal, at least since high school, to be in a teaching setting. It is what drew me into the Bible college route to begin with. It seems though, over the years, it has been made clear to me that I am better suited toward working with children, as I am myself a big child at times.
Back to the term “professional” for a moment I have changed my outlook since I am now working toward being one in the area of childcare. My desire is not to be the best teacher in the world but to be the best teacher I am. First it is about knowing there is always something new to be learned. The course of study has shown me there are many flaws within myself and many weak areas which would keep me back without confidence and assurance this is the right place to be for me.
It is the Lord who works and moves in our lives and centers His will in all things. Two and a half years ago I quit my day job and became a stay at home dad. A year later I started a home daycare out of my house in order to bring other kids in to play with my twins as well as gain some extra income. It was through the daily work with my kids plus a few others that I realized how rewarding the act of teaching young children is and will be. I am inspired daily by my kids as they are a constant puzzle of lessons and mysteries to me. God is never finished using them as ways to teach me new things I need to work on while I work to teach them.
Career Plan for the future
My perspectives on what it means to be a teacher and how to teach have changed a great deal through the course of my study. Certainly, my patience is producing character from within and I believe that is always where the Lord starts working with His children. Each class, one after another, has not just taught me how to teach but how to be a teacher. It is not just about the developmentally appropriate practices, or creative lesson strategies, but about being the kind of person from whom children want to learn.
Once I have attained my degree with Oklahoma Wesleyan, I will continue my studies at North Eastern State University. It has been called the teaching school of Oklahoma since many of the greatest teachers in this state have studied to become the professionals they now are. With my degree completed, I will pursue teaching grade school levels somewhere of God’s choosing.
There has been much I have learned about how to be a good teacher and good role model for my kids to follow. I believe it is important to instruct children not just with book knowledge but heavenly wisdom. The ways of this world are destructive so it is important to season everything with the salt of the Word of God. Everything I have learned so far about being a teacher will carry through as I begin to impart to my future students life lessons wrapped up in truth. Even in a public school setting I will still remain strong to my beliefs in how a teacher should behave.
Philosophy on early childhood education
Every child is a unique individual capable of learning, understanding, and responding to education. Children come from all different backgrounds, and are placed in with a mix of others who are all in the same way going to respond to everything in their own way. I have always believed it is important to understand what a child is saying and respond to them with respect and kindness. There really can be no other way as a teacher, as teachers are called to teach and guide.
Early childhood education is the very roots of the rest of a persons’ life. As that child grows up to be an adult what they learned while young will have greater influence on them as anything else they experience. Kids are going to take the things they learned growing up, from the classroom environment to the home environment and use those lessons to become who they are in the world.
When I first approached early childhood courses I believed I would be taught a lot of information on what I would be teaching- not so much the methods on how to teach. I realized, through the course of time that it is of greater value for me to learn how to be a teacher than to start right off with knowing all of the things I need to know. It would be like handing a new parent all of the diapers, wipes, crib material, and everything else that comes with a baby but not giving them any instructions on how to be a parent. Early childhood education takes the teacher and tells them how they should look at themselves first as a teacher and model to the kids and then go from there to understand what they will be teaching.
With each new child I teach I will look at them as a created individual made by a God who thinks they are special and loves them. That child will deserve my attention, along with all of their classmates, and acceptance that they do not know everything yet. I can be confident in what I know and am able to teach them. I will be ready; knowing everything I do is a reflection of what I believe. My faith will be seen in my actions. Because of this it is always important to be strong and true to the Lord in all things and continue to press on toward the high privilege of teaching just as God has taught me, with grace and truth.
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