Reflective Essay Sample: What Kind of Teacher Do I Want to Be

As Nelson Mandela says, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” From this, we can conclude that knowledge is one of the most prized possessions one could own. Teachers have carried these responsibilities to spread knowledge to people for ages.  Teacher is someone who assists students to gain knowledge, competence and morality.  Teachers play an important role in molding a student’s life from basic tasks such as reading and writing. They are the foundations of society who educate people as well as shaping them to be a good person complete with academic knowledge and a great personality. Teachers are as important as parents in helping students develop their lives. It requires a lot of patience, tolerance, knowledge and skills to be a good teacher that can inspire their students to be better human beings. Being a teacher has always been my dream as I grew up with my parents both being one. As I grew up, school has been my second home as I spent a lot of time there because of my parents’ job hence it has sparked an interest in me to become an educator in the future. Both of my parents are wonderful teachers and from there I learned a lot of things on how to be a good teacher. A teacher who is committed to ensuring my students that they can achieve their full potential and establish respectful and understanding relationships with them is the kind of teacher I would like to be.

First of all, I want to be a teacher who is great at explaining subjects to my students. A teacher must have wide and strong knowledge in the subject that they specialized in so they can deliver the correct information. Every student is unique and has a different ability to understand something. Some of them can understand it right away but some of them need some time to process the new knowledge.  As a teacher, I want to make sure that my students can get the idea of the lesson and have the ability to explain it accurately. To lighten this problem, I need to be flexible and creative to find new ways to present the material to make sure that every student understands the concepts. For example, explaining the lecture leisurely while using simulation such as flashcards, virtual books, and songs. As a result, students get to understand the class better and the lesson will be much more enjoyable and less stressful for both teacher and students.

After that, I want to be an optimistic teacher who always looks at the bright side and believes that every student will succeed academically. For instance, I did not get upset when students didn’t reach certain expectations. Instead, I will slowly teach them by  giving them an extra task about the subject and encourage them to not give up. Therefore, research has proven the idea that a teacher's optimism has a positive impact on a student's academic performance. At the same time, creating a sense of community in the classroom where the students feel that they can depend on the teacher and classmates. To sum it up, optimism will form a positive relationship among the students and teacher and motivate the students to achieve their goals. As a teacher, I wish to bring out the best in my students and inspire them to strive for greatness in life.

Furthermore, an approachable and caring teacher is the kind of teacher that every student wants and needs. A teacher that has these criteria is a teacher whom the students trust with their concern. I need to possess good listening skills so that I can listen and help my students figure out the solutions for their problems. Students will feel comfortable expressing their feelings and at the same time creating a supportive and understanding environment between students and teachers. A good teacher does not solely focus on students academic performance but their overall development. Thus, good teachers will understand their student’s problems and try to deal with them appropriately. I want to make my students feel like they always have someone to talk to if they can’t do it with their family or friends. In other words, a teacher does not merely stick to educating the students because they can adapt to numerous roles when the need arises such as becoming a motivator and advisor. In conclusion, I desire to be a teacher that my students can rely on if they need a guide or advice in their life.

In addition, I want to be a teacher that can inspire my students in the future and have a significant impact on their life. When I was in high school, there was a teacher that left an impact on my life, which is my mathematics teacher. She taught me a lot of things from academic purposes to the way I view the world and always encouraged me to face my problems and fears.  As the quote from Confucius says, “ It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop”. This was what she told me and I still remember it until now as I use it as my motivation whenever I feel like I'm giving up. That was the kind of teacher I would like to be in the future so that I can help my students during their ups and downs in life. In a nutshell, I hope to be a teacher that not only helps my students in academics but also in other aspects in their life such as developing a great personality and bright future for them.

In conclusion, I want to be a perspicuous, positive, welcoming and inspiring teacher to my students. I will try my best to be a great teacher and continue improving myself as an educator on my mission to provide my students with a high quality of education. I want to be a teacher who loves to learn new teaching strategies so that all of my students will understand and enjoy studying. Finally, I hope that I can achieve my dream to be a good teacher in the future so that I can contribute to making our country a more advanced, well-known and respected country.