Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 6 Unit 1 You—The Teacher of Tomorrow W hy are you interested in teaching? Is it a love for children? Do you want others to love learning as you do? Perhaps a favorite teacher inspired you or had a significant impact on your life. Maybe you want to make a difference in the world. Teaching is an exciting profession. It requires patience and persistence. It requires an appreciation for diversity—the distinct and unique differences among people—and individuality. What makes teaching truly different from many other professions is the potential long-term effect that you can have on the lives of others (Figure 1.1). working in the tutoring program with at-risk kids as Angelica herself may have been considered an at-risk kid. She is a minority, female, economically challenged, and the product of a single parent home. Despite the so-called odds, Angelica has done well in school. She has good friends and when she puts in the effort, she does well academically. She knows that her favorite teachers, Ms. Swanson and Mr. Cho, along with her mom, have played big roles in her success. So much so, she is seriously considering becoming a teacher. At the last extended family gathering, relatives questioned this interest. They thought that she should become a doctor because of her interest in math and science—a field that does not interest her as much. Let’s Discuss Discuss your reflections on how Angelica might respond to the following: ■ “I hear that teaching is really hard. Are you sure you want to do this?” ■ “Will there be teaching jobs available by the time you finish college?” ■ “What if you don’t like teaching will your degree be wasted?” As a class, read the case study and discuss the ques- tions that follow. After you finish studying the chapter, discuss the case study and questions again. How have your responses changed based on what you learned? Angelica is just beginning her junior year of high school, and is already feeling both the pressure and the excitement of things to come. People, especially relatives and her mom’s friends, are starting to ask her what she would like to do after she graduates from high school. Angelica enjoys working with kids in an after-school community program, tutoring math and science—her strengths. She especially likes CASE STUDY h d s S a r c q s m h spass/Shutterstock.com