Introduction
“Teaching is a calling that only the chosen few get, and they do it without experiences so much difficulty,” said my aunt once, when I told her I wanted to be a teacher. “However, the rewards of being a teacher are many, and they are very satisfying, so go for it,” she added. Judging from the many experiences and books that I have read, I have come to learn that teaching is as important as any other profession. As a result, teaching has its challenges as well as benefits, which are deemed rewards by those who are in the teaching profession. Certain people are passionate about teaching, but they do not necessarily know how to go about it since it can be challenging. However, various authors have written about the profession of teaching and hence helped many people perfect the “art of teaching,” as I often like to call it. Teaching is a profession that has both challenges and rewards, which once explored, makes the profession all the while worth it.
I believe that as a teacher I stand to gain many rewards based on my understanding of the teaching profession and based on some of the things I have read concerning teaching. For instance, one can echo the idea that as a teacher, the working schedule is rather flexible and convenient than in most of the other professions. Teachers have less working hours when compared to professionals such as doctors who work up to for over 12 hours a day. Ignoring the preparation teachers do at home, such as correcting papers and preparing lessons, teachers work six to seven hours a day for less than half a year (Ryan, Cooper & Bolick, 2015). Therefore, I would say that as a teacher I will enjoy a much more convenient working schedule.
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Another reward of being a teacher, which is usually deemed an extrinsic reward, is that of salaries and benefits. The salaries of teachers, as well as benefits such as health care and retirement benefits, have improved over the years, thus making teaching a substantially rewarding profession (Ryan, Cooper & Bolick, 2015). Therefore, I believe that as a teacher I will be able to reap the rewards in the form of a salary, as well as benefits that I certainly will have earned. Lastly, I believe that as a teacher, my students will be a great reward, hence the satisfaction of having an encounter with them will be an added bonus to the reward of my students (Ryan, Cooper & Bolick, 2015). Interacting, the exchange of ideas, and having to motivate my students will be a great reward, as I will get to contribute positively in their lives as they would in mine. Being passionate about teaching is not necessarily bound to the rewards. However, knowing that I will have positively impacted some of my students and given back to the society through my teaching is reward enough.
The profession of teaching does not only have benefits or rewards, like any other profession, teaching has its challenges. Among the challenges that I fear, but I am ready to encounter, is having difficulty connecting with all my students. Connecting with students is an important aspect in teaching and learning since it creates a platform in which there can be exchange f information and ideas in the learning process for students (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2015). However, due to the many personalities and uniqueness of each student, it might be hard for me to be able to connect with all the students right away, which may negatively influence the learning process. Nevertheless, I will try as much as possible to improve the connection between myself and the students over time, to ensure that I can connect with all my students for the benefit of facilitating their learning.
Another challenge that I may encounter as a teacher is that of falling behind regarding new things that my students may have already know before me (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2015). Teachers are as much ordinary as other human beings, which means that we also learn things as time goes by and we do not automatically know all the answers. Therefore, in the event, my students learn a new thing that I am yet to learn myself, teaching them about the same with no knowledge of it may prove difficult. However, in a bid to ensure I am always ahead of my students, I will ensure that I keep up with whatever is happening around, as well as the interest of my students. Lastly, as a teacher, I may also encounter the challenge of experiencing bad moments such as feeling unappreciated or unwanted by my students, which may cause me to lack the motivation for teaching at times (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2016). Teachers, as I have mentioned are human beings who have emotions and feelings. Therefore, when I feel like my students do not want or appreciate me, I will sometimes find it very difficult to still show up and teach them with as much enthusiasm, thus the challenges of teaching.
Conclusion
Every profession has its benefits/rewards, as well as challenges, including the profession of teaching. However, I believe that teaching is a calling and only passionate people such as myself can overcome the challenges of teaching and thus reap the rewards and be deserving of them. I am passionate about teaching and the idea that I will be able to inspire and impart knowledge on students, who will later contribute positively towards societal goals, is motivation enough. I, therefore, look forward to teaching young people and helping them towards becoming the doctors, economists, artists, among other great professions.
References
Ryan, K., Cooper, J. M., & Bolick, C. M. (2015). Those who can, teach . Nelson Education.
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2015). Job Satisfaction, Stress and Coping Strategies in the Teaching Profession—What Do Teachers Say?. International Education Studies , 8 (3), 181.
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2016). Teacher stress and teacher self-efficacy as predictors of engagement, emotional exhaustion, and motivation to leave the teaching profession. Creative Education , 7 (13), 1785.
