Why I Chose to Teach

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is this: “Why did you become a teacher?”  When I was in my senior year of high school, I asked the same question to my new English teacher.  She replied matter-of-factly, “Because I like to talk.”  I like to talk, too, but this isn’t the reason I decided to become one.  The simple answer to this is that I love to teach. 

From a Biblical perspective, Romans 12:6-7 explains it quite straightforwardly: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach.”  This is one of the verses that helped me discern whether or not God was indeed calling me to be a teacher. 

The beautiful thing about teaching is, not only is it a spiritual gift, but it’s also a form of ministry.  You don’t have to be a Values or Christian Education teacher to teach your students about God.  God is in English, Science, Math, and any subject you can possibly think of.  He rightfully governs the universe and everything in it, and it’s only right that we should learn all about our amazing Creator.

In my senior high school yearbook, each graduating student had to mention his or her ambition or life goal.  A lot of my classmates answered this question succinctly, in the briefest way possibly (e.g. “I want to become an engineer”).  However, I’m not one for brevity, which is why mine was by far the lengthiest and most verbose.  To be honest, I’m surprised the school even allowed my entire answer to be printed out on the yearbook; I’d assumed they’d edit it and trim it down.  They didn’t.  This is what I had written, and this is what was printed right beneath my graduation photo:

“As a child, I often shifted from one dream ambition to the next, depending on what my whim presently suited me.  This, I am sure, is a phase all of us have gone through at some point during our fickle childhood.  As the years progressed, I had dreamt of becoming a doctor, a nurse, a chef, a pilot, a flight attendant, and even a soldier (my mom had not been in favor of the last one).  But when it came right down to it, I had a feeling God was calling me to be something else: a teacher.  Many say this is because my mother and her mother are both teachers, perhaps making a subconscious influence on me.  Writing is also another passion of mine, which is why, besides being a teacher, I also want to become a novelist someday—if the good LORD wills it.”

I come from a family of teachers.  As mentioned above, both my maternal grandmother and my mother are teachers, which makes me a third-generation educator.  On my father’s side of the family, I have relatives who are or were teachers, too.  A lot of people say that I chose to become a teacher because my mother is one.  In some ways, I suppose they’re right.  But I became a teacher because I want to impact lives for God’s glory, inspire positive change, and do my part in helping my country be a better place.  I know this all sounds idealistic, but I still firmly believe it’s not altogether impossible.

My first teaching experience can be traced all the way back to when I was about nine or ten years old.  Nearly every summer, when I was a child, my family and I would visit my mother’s hometown in Leyte.  At the church there, there was an outreach program called Vacation Church School (also called Daily Vacation Bible School in other church organizations).  This program encourages Christians to volunteer to share the Gospel to children in remote areas and I was interested to join, so I did.  I started out as an assistant teacher and taught children who were not much younger than I was.  While teaching a dozen or so hyperactive kids was exhausting, it was also a very fulfilling experience, and every summer I would be eager to volunteer yet again.

When I was in high school, my school had a different and unique way of celebrating Teachers’ Day.  Aside from the usual presentation tributes for the teachers, the high school students were given the opportunity to teach the elementary students for a day.  This means that a few days prior to Teachers’ Day, the high school students would be given a lesson outline to be discussed. 

When I was a freshman, I was assigned to teach first graders.  In my second year, I taught the second graders.  During my junior and senior years, I taught Grade 3 and Grade 4 students respectively.  Each year, I was assigned to teach English.  I had no complaints because it was, and still very much is, a subject I love.  Even though my teaching stints only occurred once a year, these experiences continued to intensify my passion for teaching.

By my senior year, I was sure of what I wanted to study in college.  Whereas some of my classmates were still struggling to think of what they wanted to be when they grew up, I already had my sights set on a specific university and degree program.  Even then, I knew I wanted to teach English to high school students.  But this decision was not made without months and months of steadfast prayer.  I believe there was a reason God placed in my heart a strong desire to teach.

I graduated cum laude with a degree in Bachelor of Secondary Education, with a major in English, last March 2014.  I was also awarded Fiction Writer of the Year.  When I look back at my high school yearbook and think of all my old high school classmates, I can count on one hand those whose ambitions became a reality.  I think I’m extremely blessed that my hope to be a teacher and a writer were allowed by God to happen.  This solidified my belief that this really is God’s will for me, and I am grateful He allowed me to pursue these passions.

When I was starting college, I had made plans to teach immediately after graduating, but such wasn’t the case.  I had a few offers from a number of schools, but my mother discouraged me from accepting any of them and told me to focus on preparing for my board exam instead.  After seeking God’s guidance on this matter, I took my mother’s advice. However, I decided to continue working in the review center where I was teaching (I started teaching there during my second semester of college, but that’s a story for another blog post) because the load was light and the schedules were very flexible. 

Five months after I graduated, I took the Licensure Examination for Teachers on August 2014 and passed.  After about a year and a half of working at the review center, I quit on May and applied for a teaching position at my high school alma mater.  I am currently teaching English to Grades 7, 8, 9 and 10, as well as Values Education to Grades 5,7, 8 and 9.  The first quarter of the school year has just ended, and so much has already happened.  It’s flooring to believe that it’s only been three months since I started teaching here.  I’m excited for what God has in store for the rest of the school year.

One of the ironies I have encountered so far is my tenth grade class.  They were the students I taught all those years ago during Teachers’ Day.  They don’t remember me teaching them before, but I do remember them.

            For over a year now, I’ve been meaning to make a blog chronicling my journey as a teacher, but I never could find the time to sit down and write until now.  Well, technically, I don’t really have time to sit down and write now either, but here I am anyway.  This entry is the first in what I hope will be dozens of more blog posts to come.  So here’s to a blessed and fruitful school year.

            God bless you!

– Teacher Theigh