Elementary Teacher Is Challenged & Rewarded By Her Students Daily
Teaching is a rewarding and challenging profession. The day does not end when students walk out the door, however, as Chrissy Olson so eloquently states, "No career is more satisfying than being a teacher."
Olson graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in elementary education. She then attended Northeastern University and received her master's degree as a learning behavior specialist. Olson is currently a fifth grade teacher at Beaubien Elementary School on the north side of Chicago. She said she feels very fortunate to work with an amazing staff and have unconditional support from the administration at her school.
What are the responsibilities of your current role?
"The scope and responsibilities of my current role is to assess student's knowledge using content related to common core standards, item rationales, and complex literary and informational texts. I need to drive instruction with rich analysis of cluster and standard performance, and text complexity. It is important to target instruction with student performance, along with tools and resources, to plan for the next steps."
What is your favorite part of your daily duties?
"One of my favorite duties is to greet my students at the door acknowledging each one individually to start the day. My students walk through the door wholeheartedly eager to learn every morning. What I find most rewarding are the "ah-ha" moments when you can tell the student really learned and understand a concept. Observing, listening, guiding and encouraging these students on a daily basis can be both challenging and rewarding; that is what I love about my job. Not only do my students learn from me on a daily basis, but I learn from them as well."
Do you feel your education prepared you for your current role?
"I feel that my education and hands-on experience has prepared me for my current role as a teacher. Being a teacher is not an easy job and you do not just play one role in the students' lives. You are an educator, counselor, nurse, friend, and a positive role model."
Do you have any advice for people who desire to pursue a similar career?
"My advice for people who desire this career would be to make sure you balance out your job and your personal life. Continue to go to school and get your master's degree or national board certification right away. The more you are highly qualified to teach, the more opportunities you will come across in this career. It is not an easy job but it is a very rewarding job. A teacher's job is never done so you need to be smart about your work ethics so you do not get overwhelmed."
Michelle Guilbeau is a writer, reviewer, teacher and business owner living in Chicago, Illinois. She also has experience in school administration, literacy coaching and is proud founder of CraftKitsForKids.com and MichelleGuilbeau.com Michelle enjoys sharing her knowledge of Chicago, food, travel, education and parenting issues with her readers. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
