The reason I have pursued my degree in Elementary Education orginally started from a love I found early on of interacting with children. I have a sincere love for all children and want to see each one succeed. I wasn't sure I wanted to pursue teaching until I served a mission for my church where I had the opportunity to teach people and felt the extreme joy and satisfaction that came with teaching others. I believe that being a teacher is something I am meant to do....something I can do where I make a difference and enjoy what I am doing.
My motivation comes from many places. I have a desire within to reach out and inspire children, especially those who may be in critical need of outside inspriation and encouragement. Another source of motivation is my daughter. While I had a desire to become a teacher and one day complete my education, I wasn't really motivated to do it until shortly after I had my daughter. I realized that for her, I needed to finish my education so that if something unforseen happened I would be able to provide for her. I also wanted to set a good example for her and I want to be able to optimize the time I have with her as she gets older so the earlier I finish school the more time I will be able to spend with her.
The reason I succeed is because I desire to succeed. I am focused on what I want to acheive and I work really hard to acheive it. I know that if I work hard for what I want, then I will obtain it.
The reason I fail is because I lose focus or work half-heartedly. If my whole heart is not in what I am doing, it is hard to stay focused and be diligent and work hard.
To succeed in this program, I believe that I need to have more motivation from within instead of finding my motivation from outside influences (although they have helped get me this far). My perspective about myself and the teacher I can become needs to change for me to succeed because thus far I have viewed myself as a student. The thought of becoming a teacher has been a little nerve-wracking because I am not certain about what to expect and not certain about the teacher I will be. To succeed in the program I know that I need to change my perspective and see myself as a successful teacher so then I will become that successful teacher, just as seeing myself as a successful student has led me to being a successful student.
