Why Your "Why" is Vital
Why Your "Why" is Vital
I became a teacher because…
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Did your “dream job” change from when you were seven to when you were a college student having to make choices that would impact your future? I know mine did. And even throughout college, what I wanted to be when I “grew up” kept changing. After changing my major nearly eight times, I think I finally figured it out.
What about you? Did you always know you wanted to be a teacher?
While some teachers have dreamed of this career path since they were children, teaching their stuffed animals in their bedroom classroom, there are so many paths that teachers take to end up where they are now.
Regardless of when you first decided to become a teacher, there is something behind your decision—your “Why that kept you going through school, student teaching, and into today where you manage your own classroom every year.
So, why is your “Why” so important?
Do you know your “Why?”
1. Your “Why” Keeps You Going
When the going gets tough, people without a “Why” get going…running as far away from the hard situation as possible. And right now, with the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects it has had on the education system, times are tough for teachers.
If you have a clearly defined reason for being a teacher—for enduring the long, stressful days, virtual-learning classrooms, and disrespectful students that are surely to come- You will have a reason to stay even during the times being a teacher is not so glamorous. Knowing your why is how you overcome the challenges faced along the way.
“He who has a why can endure any how.'' - Friedrich Nietzsche
2. Your “Why” Keeps the Joy Coming
As a teacher, there is no doubt you will have days that are simply void of joy. When the chaos in the classroom increases and you become overwhelmed and stressed out, it is hard to remember why you choose this crazy career in the first place. Knowing your “Why” keeps the joy coming back week after week, month after month, year after year.
And you need this joy! This joy helps you respond lovingly to your students. It helps you keep a positive attitude in your classroom and at home or with your friends. It gives you energy and motivation to do the hard work, to reach the lost student, to keep showing up for the kids who need you. Your “Why” keeps the joy for you.
3. Your “Why” is Motivating
What keeps you going through the boring days, the exhausting days, the long days, the days where you “fail” as a teacher or as a friend? You need a motivating factor. You need your “Why.”
It is what pushes you to continue, to get better, to try harder, and to get back up when you fall down. It is what keeps you determined to be the best teacher you can be, even through the chaos. Your “Why” will help you make it through the COVID-19 pandemic, while still providing high-quality education to your students.
Remember Your “Why” and Share It
This week, we encourage you to remember your “Why.” Think back to the first time you decided you wanted to be a teacher and how it felt crossing that stage at college graduation, walking into your future ready to help students and make a difference in the lives of young people.
YOU ARE DOING IT.
You are living out your “Why” every single day.
You’re awesome.
It is important to not only remember your “Why” but to share it with your students, too. This not only will help them understand more about you and your heart for the classroom, but it also provides a great opportunity to ask your students what they want to be when they grow up. Encourage them to think about their “Why” and encourage them in their passions.
Remembering & Defining Your Why | Journaling Exercise for Educators
