As a 20-year-old college student, I often sit back and reminisce on my years of schooling. From the arts and crafts I made in kindergarten, to my first mainstage musical, my most vivid memories are the results of the teachers who made these memories possible.
I owe my passion for teaching, writing, and literature as a whole to a handful of teachers, stemming from my elementary school days.
My 5th grade Language Arts teacher taught me the importance of preserving quotes in a pocket journal.
My 7th grade Language Arts teacher introduced me to The Outsiders, the book that established my love for reading.
My 10th grade English teacher introduced me to the beauty within Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, a foundational novel that opened my eyes to the world of classic literature.
I am proud to be an education major at The College of New Jersey. As a student on the Secondary Education track, my dream is to be a high school English teacher and teach my future students the beauty of literature. I will work to help them understand that individual words speak volumes, and that novels speak the words for people who may be unable to tell their stories.
I spoke with a diverse group of students from The College of New Jersey and asked them various questions surrounding their past, present, and future experiences in the classroom. Each of them view their jobs as future educators in different ways, yet they have one thing in common: their passion for teaching and their desire to inspire their future students.
Regardless of the track they are on, TCNJ’s education majors must declare a content area to study throughout their time at the College. This content area ensures that each education major will be extremely knowledgeable in a specific subject, while their liberal learning courses guarantee that they are also well-rounded:
“I chose my major in education and specifically art because I have always been an artistic person and loved the art classes I took throughout my K-12 school years. Specifically, I was strongly impacted by my high school art teacher and his love for the arts and teaching. He helped me become a better artist and grow as a person through my artwork, and I realized that being an art teacher is something I would love to do and I hope to be able to have a similar impact on my students. I also always held a love for math and have a great interest in teaching the subject as well, especially at the middle school age, when I started to really enjoy math. I realize that math and art are very different subjects, but I have found many connections between them and would be very excited to be a teacher for either subject.”
-Gina Bianco (Art Education (K-12) and Middle School Mathematics)
“After coming into college as an iStem content major, I quickly found that it was not for me. Talking to my advisor about my options, I decided that sociology would be my path as I had taken a human studies class my senior year of high school (which covered the basics of psychology and sociology) and was fascinated in the class. I felt that as an Early Childhood, Special Education major, selecting a content area where I learn about why children and adults all around live the way that they do would give me a cool perspective to bring into my classroom and my teaching, rather than focusing on math or history, etc.”
-Jenna Valentine (Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Sociology)
Listening to these ladies discuss their different interests in their content areas led me to the next question: When and how did you know you wanted to be a teacher?
“Ever since I was little, I loved playing school with my sisters. I was always the teacher and created the worksheets and problems that they had to work on. As I got older, I realized that I was really good with kids and wanted to work with them. I knew that if I were to become a teacher, I would love what I am doing everyday and it wouldn’t feel like work.”
-Zoë Kresker (Elementary Education and iSTEM with a Math specialization)
“From a young age, teaching was always something I saw myself taking part in doing. My mother was a teacher of students with disabilities for years, along with many other at risk groups. I was always the role model cousin at family events and taking care of the kids almost became like second nature to me. Therefore, teaching was always in the back of my mind when I thought of a career path for my future.”
-Jenna Valentine
Though we college students prefer to view ourselves as independent people, there is no denying that our past teachers played a major role in shaping who we are today, and above all, in influencing our decisions to become teachers.
“In high school, my 11th grade English teacher had the biggest impact on me. She had a love for English that was clear when teaching, and she was always in my corner when I needed her. She is a very thoughtful person, and part of the reason I chose English as my content area. In college, my SPE 103 teacher, Professor Vroman, has had the biggest impact on me thus far. She is so knowledgeable about Special Education and has such strong beliefs. Listening to her teach with such a strong passion confirms that being a Special Education teacher is what I want to do with my life. It is a very hard, but rewarding, career path, and having her as a teacher has benefited me greatly.”
-Lindsay Vreeland (Special Education, Elementary Education, and English)
“The teacher that had the greatest impact on my life was my 12th grade psychology teacher. She was someone who not only showed me what it’s like to be a great teacher but also how to work towards goals within a classroom. She was a role model for me since she showed me how it’s important to help your students and to push them to achieve the best possible thing that they can. She truly made me a better person and helped me improve with various skills in the classroom.”
-Hannah Leitner (Elementary Education, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education, Sociology)
“My junior year of high school English teacher, Ms. Brandt, had a major impact on my life. I never liked English, but Ms. Brandt made the class enjoyable. She had a huge impact on my life because she was able to be our friend but knew when she needed to be a teacher, as well. I hope that when I become a teacher, that my students will feel this way about me!”
-Zoë Kresker
As an English major myself, I understand the impact that books have had on my life. It was comforting to learn that other English majors felt the same way!
“I am an avid book collector; I frequently purchase the novels and textbooks used in my English courses. While I have read many inspiring books thus far in my college career, my go-to ‘significant book’ has remained the same since the fourth grade: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. DiCamillo’s purposeful authorial intrusions made me feel like a part of the text. This was also the book read to me by my fourth grade teachers, Mrs. Hyman and Mrs. Ormosi, who were the first teachers to tell me how much they believed in me and told me I was meant to be a literature lover. They challenged me to write every day and read as much as I can. They sparked my love and appreciation of good literature and writing, which I believe led me to my path to becoming a future educator. The most impactful book, for me, was indeed one about a small mouse, a princess, and a love for words.”
-Emma Eisenbeil (Secondary Education and English, minor in Women and Gender Studies)
“Make Your Home Among Strangers by Jennine Capó Crucet is one of the most inspiring books I have read. It was actually our assigned freshman reading here at TCNJ and I really enjoyed it. The plot follows a first generation college student and the struggles and successes she shares as she leaves her hometown and goes to college. Make Your Home Among Strangers discusses class, privilege, stereotypes, opportunities, insecurities, challenges, and new environments and how all of these things play a role in finding your true purpose.”
-Lindsay Vreeland
As my interviews came to a close, it was important to ask one final question. There is no denying the fact that countless high school students are considering the possibility of becoming teachers in the future. As a future teacher, I felt the need to ask a question that will lend a helping hand to younger students: What advice would you give to a high school student planning on studying education in college?
“I would tell a high school student coming to college to study education that they should take advantage of all of their practicum experiences and really engage themselves with the students. Also, to ask any questions they have to their cooperating teacher and their professor since they are really helpful and knowledgeable resources.”
-Allyson Lewis (Urban Elementary Education and iSTEM with a Math specialization)
“Take a decent amount of time to think about what content area and grade levels you want to be able to teach with your major and certification. While it is not impossible to switch majors after enrolling in college, I believe, when it comes to education, it is sometimes difficult to see if certain classes you have taken will count towards your newly declared education major. Switching into Secondary Education is a bit easier than Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education because their education classes can start first semester. I know this seems overwhelming; how could you possibly know what you want to do at 18-years-old? My advice: talk to your current teachers! I sought advice from my high school mentor when I was having trouble deciding between Elementary and Secondary education. He knew me not only as a student, but as a person. He believed the age group would prove to make me happier for a number of reasons. I took the time to reflect and take his advice into consideration and three years later, as a junior in college and an excited future educator, I am so glad I did!
-Emma Eisenbeil
Teaching is an occupation based on influencing students to better themselves in any way they can. The words of these future educators inspire me, a fellow future educator, to never stop pushing myself and accepting knowledge as it comes in all shapes and sizes!