My Colorado Professional Teaching License with Elementary Endorsement expires today...
"It is noble to teach oneself; it is still nobler to teach others." - Mark Twain
I chose to teach in public education for these reasons...
"Elementary education is my occupation of choice because I find personal satisfaction in serving and educating the youth of my community. I recognize the crucial need for motivated instructors and enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for learning. I am attracted to the communal goal within the schools to give students knowledge and skills that will make a positive difference in their futures. Seeing a student's self-discovery and growth validates my desire to teach, and renews my sense of purpose." - Educational Autobiography of Kirsten Pearson, 2003
I remember writing that. It is was one of the easiest writing assignments I had - it flowed verbatim from thought to keyboard during one of the thousands of writings sessions it took to complete all of the writing assignments necessary to complete my Professional Teaching Portfolio, integrated work samples, lesson plans and induction. You would go into a cold sweat if you only knew what beginner teachers have to go through to just graduate college with their Provisional License. I look at all of my binders now and just shake my head. So much work... Stupid. None of it made me a better teacher. It just made me tired. I experienced quality introspection through talking with colleagues, students and professors...NOT writing endless papers about the merits of the Colorado Performance-Based Standards.
I choose to continue my teaching career in my home for these reasons:
I feel personal satisfaction in serving and educating my children. I recognize the crucial need for motivated and involved parents and I enjoying being an integral part of my children's lives every day. I enjoy sharing with my children my enthusiasm for learning something new every day. I am attracted to the goal within the homeschooling community to give our children the ability to explore their interests and enhance their knowledge at a pace, depth and breadth that suits each individual child. This I KNOW will make a positive difference in their future. Seeing my children experience self-discovery on a daily basis validates my desire to teach, and renews my sense of purpose.
My Colorado Professional Teaching License may no longer pass the sniff test, but that does not mean I am no longer a teacher. Will I jump through the hoops necessary to get it renewed? Six hours of college credit at the the price of several hundred dollars and at least a hundred hours of personal time (neither of which we have) makes that a definite "No".
