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Task 4
This I Believe Essays
Essay 1
Teaching is like eggs. You have all these chicken parents that pop out these little eggs and then
they are gathered in a classroom nest. As a teacher, I consider myself the chef who decides what to do
with all of them. You see, there are so many different ways to eat an egg, just as there are many
different types of students.
Some students are perfectionists, much like your over medium egg. They strive to appear
flawless on the outside, but on the inside, they are terrified of breaking the yoke. Quite oppositely, some
students are scrambled eggs. They don’t care how they get made as long as it gets done, just like doing
schoolwork. Then there’s your students who are always just so positive and happy to be in school and
learning. They are sunny-side up. Often times you have a student or two that is really hard to get
through to. They have a hard shell similar to a hardboiled egg, but once you can break through that
shell, there’s a whole lot of good inside.
So as the chef and teacher, it is my responsibility to make sure that I accept all of these different
learning styles and personalities and find a way to make omelets. Omelets allow you to mix things up,
try new things, and explore opportunities. Curriculum and standards will always be the root of education
and an omelet will always be an omelet. It is in adding the cheese, ham, and onions to the mix that really
makes the difference and creates the flavor. That is why I’m the chef. I must invest in my students and
learn what ingredients they need to bring out their highest potential.
There are other factors of course when frying an omelet. There’s the stove; administration in
this case. Sometimes you have an older stove that isn’t up to date and there can be some harmful
factors to an egg student’s possibilities. Other times you may have a brand new stove that gets hot
really quick and you have to make sure that you are careful when frying your omelet. It is in finding the
balance between old-fashioned ideas and over aggressive belief systems that teachers can best create
an atmosphere in which their students will thrive.
Let us not forget about the role that parents and cooperating with other faculty plays in
education. They can leave you feeling a little salty sometimes but you have to learn to let it go because
too much salt on an omelet is a bad thing. Rather, supplement that salty feeling for a little hot sauce and
add some spice in your teaching.
When it is all said and done, it is important to remember that as an educator you are dealing
with people that were hatched and nurtured by their parents. They leave their nest and are placed in
your chef hands with the hope that they will come out with a delicious and lasting experience. Teachers
should always be trying to improve, stay informed on new research and methods, experimenting with
new things, and reflect on the things that work and don’t work…. Just like a chef making an omelet.
Essay 2
When I walk into a school to teach, it is very similar to walking into a therapist’s office. The real
world is so crazy and it is easy to become jaded about certain things, which can sometimes be
detrimental to one’s mental health; and thus, requiring the need to talk things out with a therapist. You
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sit on the couch, talk out your feelings, and the therapist gets you back on track and reminds you of all
of the blessings and good in your life. Students; furthermore, kids, are my therapists.
Similar to how one doesn’t always want to go to therapy or pretends that they are fine, I don’t
always want to go to school and teach and I pretend that I’m just fine… but I’m not. Truth be told, I get
super bitter about the world sometimes and I don’t like it. I let the stupid things in life get to me and find
myself getting caught up in the specifics. The minute I walk into that classroom though? Whew. What a
relief!
Kids can be so innocent and carefree and it’s always a great reminder to me to just enjoy life.
They laugh at silly things and get so excited about the tiniest of information. When do we grow up and
lose that? Why do we forget to laugh at ourselves and find excitement in the little things in life? Because
we live in a judgmental and competitive world, that’s why. But kids? They live in a world where schools
promote acceptance of others, a willingness to take risks, encourage creativity, and questions are
applauded rather than looked at as a weakness. That’s the world I want to live in.
Working with students and helping them learn, reach their potential, and chase their dreams, I
am reminded that these are things that everyone should be entitled to, not just kids. There should not
be an age limit on learning or trying to reach a goal or vision. As much as I am trying to teach students,
they are teaching me equally, if not more. That is why I love working with young people. They are so
eager and enthusiastic and it can’t help but be contagious.
Essay 3
I feel that my crazy, messed-up, competitive family, that at the end of the day, whether they
have embraced it or not, represents the characteristics of a close-knit Catholic raised family, has set up
me to empathize with all types of people. We were absolutely raised under the notion of “treat others
how you want to be treated” and through all of our problems have learned a lot about people and the
battles that they face. I am personally and naturally an extremely empathetic person… almost to the
point where it can affect my own needs. My mom has always told me that I need to be more selfish and
quit putting others before myself. Perhaps she is right in my personal life, but in my professional life as a
teacher, I think that it is a very strong and desired characteristic to possess.
To highlight one of the biggest contributions to my empathetic nature, I will discuss the story of
my brother coming out of the closet. Again, being raised Catholic it is common knowledge that we/they
are against homosexuality so it was extremely hard for everyone to accept my brother’s newfound
sexual orientation. I myself was faced for the first time ever a regrettable feeling of judgment and
shame. I had gay friends growing up in high school and considered myself very tolerant; however, when
it hit close to home I realized that maybe I wasn’t as accepting as I thought.
I didn’t speak to my brother for 6 months after this revelation but in time was able to identify
the root of my bitterness. It was never the fact that he was gay, but more so the fact that I had been
questioned multiple by times by other people if my brother was gay and time after time “defended
him.” What hurt the most was that I thought he and I were really close and the fact that he couldn’t
come to me hurt my feelings and made me question our relationship.
In this experience I came face to face with a really big life struggle that my brother had gone
through due to the fear of judgment and ridicule from others. It made me realize more than ever that no
one has the right to judge anyone else and make ignorant opinions and accusations about how a person
lives there life according to sexual orientation, religion, interests, or whatever. You really have no idea
what a person has gone through unless you have walked a mile in their shoes. When my brother came
out I was reminded more than ever how truly good it is to be empathetic of others. Through empathy
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you are better able to understand people, and as Azar Nafisi mentioned, a genuine dialogue is produced.
It also helps you learn and better yourself as an individual.
As a teacher, when you have empathy for all students, it really helps you to connect because
said dialogue is more easily formed and you are quicker to establish some common ground. When you
can create that relationship with a student and gain their trust and understanding you are going to be
ten times ahead of the curve in establishing goals and getting your students involved and engaged in
their own learning.