Made to Do

Did I ever tell you that I was voted "Most likely to become a teacher" in high school? I'm not sure exactly why I was voted that. Perhaps it was because they needed every person to have a "Most Likely" label and that was all they could think of for me. Maybe it was because I did well in school so the assumption was that I could teach because I knew the material. Or maybe, just maybe, those classmates of mine saw something in me that it took me awhile to see for myself.

I have have the gift of teaching.

It's hard for me to put it out there like that and actually say it publicly. I fear that maybe I really don't have this gift or talent and people who read this will laugh and say, "That girl thinks she can teach? Ha ha ha."

But you know what? I think I'm right.

I know this because of how I feel when I'm teaching. I love it. My brain gets so active it's as if I've had caffeine even though I haven't. Creativity practically oozes out of my pores. I smile a lot (see this blog for a smiling story), and I can't stop thinking about the kids I'm working with and how I can get them to understand the things we are studying.

I totally love it. I admit it, and I embrace it. I like being a teacher.

This summer I am doing a little tutoring on the side. I'm working with a middle school student in reading and writing. I just spent the last hour lost in a hunt for grammar worksheets, quizzes, and strategies. I had to pull myself away from that project just so that I could get some other stuff done today! That's when it hit me that maybe this is what I was made to do.

I think we know we're made to do something when we love talking about it and thinking about it. You can tell if someone loves something by the way they tell you about it. You can watch and notice that their eyes light up and they smile more. They get excited and the inflection in their voice even changes.

What makes your eyes light up when you talk about it? What were you made to do?