Growing up with two teacher parents meant one thing for me: I was convinced teaching was the last thing I’d ever do.
As a kid, I absolutely admired them, and I used to do anything to be a part of their world. At the end of every summer, I loved helping my mom set up her classroom and begged to grade papers just because I thought it was cool. And I’ll admit, I did use to play teacher with my stuffed animals and my not-so-willing little brother.
Because both of them were teachers, however, it automatically became the one career path I never wanted. No matter how much I loved it growing up, it felt too obvious and too expected a choice. So once I started getting older, I ruled teaching out without hesitation and denied that career path whenever anyone asked me.
And then I started working with kids.
It began with teaching swim lessons. Throughout middle school, I used to volunteer my time for my swim team’s Learn to Swim program. At first, it was just a fun, easy way to earn community service hours, but as time went on, I realized I loved working with kids.Â
Then in high school, I started working at an after-school program. There, I spent every afternoon helping with homework, listening to kids tell stories about their day, and making plenty of arts and crafts projects. Somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, I could actually start picturing myself in a classroom. Like, really picture it.
For a while, even though I could see myself teaching, I really questioned if it was actually for me. Was it actually something I was passionate enough to do, or was it just me trying to play it safe with something I was familiar with? In the middle of this identity crisis of sorts, however, I had a run-in with my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Mardino. That was all it took to remind me why I wanted to do this.
Every kid has that one teacher they will always remember. The one who made them feel capable, safe, and seen in a way they never forgot. The teacher who could not only change the way you looked at school, but also change your life completely. Their “Miss Honey,” if you will. For me, that was Mrs. Mardino. The environment she created in her classroom made me fall in love with school and made me excited to go every day. I’ve carried that feeling with me ever since.
When I finally admitted to myself that teaching was what I wanted, I realized it wasn’t because my parents were teachers. It wasn’t because it was familiar. It wasn’t even because I enjoyed working with kids.
It was because I wanted to be someone’s “Miss Honey.” That’s what pulled me toward elementary education in the first place. I wanted to make an impact on the lives of my students and make learning fun and exciting, the same way Mrs. Mardino did for me. Once I connected those dots, I knew I was on the right path.
And the funny thing is, after that, the road still wasn’t perfectly smooth. Freshman year of college, I doubted myself more than I expected to. I once again questioned whether teaching was really the right choice.
But every time I stepped back into a classroom, I felt that same certainty settle in again. And after spending five weeks with a rowdy group of third graders this semester, that certainty only deepened. I didn’t just see myself becoming a teacher; I felt like I already belonged there.
So, why teach?
All it takes is one person to change your life. I know how special it is when you find a teacher you just connect with, who makes you feel safe, valued, and capable. I want my future students to look back the way I look back on my first-grade teacher, with warmth, gratitude, and the knowledge that someone believed in them.
Every kid deserves their own Miss Honey. And I want to be that person.