6

Coaching, summer vacation, my love of working with kids

12

I decided to go into teaching for several reasons. I love children, I feel I have a natural gift to teach children, and it's a great job for moms with children at home because of the schedule.

15

My husband died when I was 35 years old. I was content with staying at home and raising our son. I realized I needed to do something with my life. Going to school allowed me to be at home when my son was there. Also, I saw how he was judged by coming from

20

Helping kids, teaching science.

36

Love kids, always babysat

40

The fervor that my high school band director had for teaching motivated me most.

46

I enjoyed teaching swim lessons while in high school to preschoolers. I ended up teaching middle school when I discovered I didn't have the talent to teach the same students all day.

49

Actually the very good and the very bad teachers I had were factors that led me into teaching. Another major factor was that I truly enjoyed high school.

50

I enjoy the learning process. I also like working with kids and wasn't ready for the business world.

51

My lover of music and the desire to show others the joy music can bring. I also enjoyed working with children.

54

The need for employment. My original bachelor's is chemistry. With no job prospects available in the field, teaching seemed a good place to be (funny how destiny works).

57

A teacher I had in school, the subject area, and I come from a long line of teachers.

64

I participated as a peer tutor in high school with students with disabilities and enjoyed it. The teacher for the class was a positive role model. I have always liked working with children so it made sense.

69

My desire to help and guide children, along with my love for children led me into teaching.

71

Being able to explain mathematical concepts to others easily.

73

I like working with people, especially kids. I like having an impact on the future of our world. I am well rounded; I knew teaching involves many facets of other careers.

74

Love of reading, summer off, father is a high school administrator, enjoy being around kids.

77

Love of kids and content area, enjoy social dynamics of the classroom setting

80

A need/want to help others, love of learning and for children, helping create that lightbulb over someone's head when they finally get it.

81

I love the working with children. I love the language (ASL).

83

Ability to impact lives, make a difference, improve lives, also fondness of subject.

85

Most of the teachers I had in school went out of their way to help me do good in school.

88

I wasn't happy interviewing for and planning to be in various kinds of sales. It didn't offer any intrinsic values. I hung out in

Bloomington trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my BA in journalism and my business minor. I started training the s

100

Desire to work with kids, amount of business classes taken prior to choosing education, school calendar - time with own children, same schedule.

105

Summers off important when raising family, dealing with children

108

I love to instruct. Weekends, holidays with my family. I was a nurse for 10 years before I became a teacher.

110

High school teacher

112

The ability to work with other people was one of my strengths as a person.

121

Family background, desire to help kids, coaching

123

My parents - they were both teachers, love of children, I thought teaching looked like it would be a fun and enjoyable career.

124

Learning new things is my passion.

125

Hours - Summer off - vacations with my children are the same. Also, love working with children.

126

The students. Making an impact in young peoples' lives.

128

Making a difference in children's lives. The ability to be with my children as they grow. My love for children.

129

Wanted to make a difference. My mom was an excellent master teacher and example.

131

I enjoyed teaching kids and helping them learn new things. I always enjoyed my subject area, and saw that my teacher enjoyed it.

134

One of my teachers told me I'd make a good teacher.

136

The opportunity to administer to children in a positive manner. Juvenile justice always had me dealing with bad children, and I wanted to see if the world had well-behaved kids.

137

The teachers in my life. My parents also encouraged me.

138

Wanting to help kids.

139

I felt it would be a service to people. I wanted my work hours to coincide fairly closely with my children's school hours.

145

Being able to help children, watching them learn, watching them grow, the hours, the yearly schedule.

151

I wanted to be able to help other children learn including my own.

152

I wanted to make a positive impact on kids.

155

Some teachers who pushed me to be more than what I thought was capable.

157

I loved working with children and everyone always told me I would be a good teacher so I decided to try it.

162

The thought that I could help children better their lives.

164

Ability to influence and make a difference to children, time off.

171

I wanted to have a job where I would feel like I was impacting others.

176

My aunt was an inspiration to me. She taught 50 years. I admired one of my English teachers in high school who had a gift with students. In the early 1970s there was a need for teachers. I enjoyed working with children and my reading college professor sai

178

Love of children and their excitement when learning. Wanting to share my love of reading with others.

180

Chance to work with kids. Opportunity to work in field of math and science and teach kids.

182

Desire to inspire children.

189

Babysitting, youth group, young children, calendar

190

Job burn out in retail management. Dissatisfaction with long hours, little vacation time.

191

The satisfaction of seeing children being excited about learning new ideas/concepts.

193

I had some wonderful, talented teachers as well as some apathetic, terrible teachers. I knew I could be better than some I had, and I wanted to make people feel good and confident like the talented teachers I had.

195

I love being with children. I have always enjoyed helping others.

200

Educators in my family. Excellent teachers.

204

I am good at making complicated topics simple to understand.

206

My love for math and problem solving. My interest in making a change in children's lives. Convenience of work while my children were in school. Work schedule with my own children. Desire to help students make a positive attitude change about math.

209

My love for "special needs" sutdents and the rewards that are far and few between but are so great when they happen. All these things I felt as a [para?] and as an older adult I knew then that I had to get my degree.

217

My mother owned a home day care for many years. I saw the impact she made on the lives of the children in her care. I also know that one day I wanted to have children of my own and teaching was a profession where I could make an impact and spend quality t

222

My teachers that I had going through school led me into teaching. I had several good teachers throughout my schooling experiences.

227

My experiences and relationships with my teachers encouraged me a great deal.

230

The environment of being around kids - entertaining them. The time off. The lack of a "business world" atmosphere.

231

Previous jobs (aide at a junior high school)

233

I think there is something very special about being able to watch a child grow in knowledge. I am amazed at young minds. I've always had a positive attitude towards school and I wanted to be a part of the process.

236

No written comments

239

Knowing that I wanted a family and not wanting to be away from my own children. Helping make a difference in the lives of less fortunate kids.

240

The poor quality of education that my children received. I just knew I could do better. A love of teaching. A love of children.

250

The opportunity to make a difference. The life style it affords.

252

I am the oldest of five children. I love working with kids and watching them learn (I always have). Also, my mom began teaching when I was in middle school.

253

I enjoy working with young people and my mother and father were both teachers.

254

No written comments

256

Musical talent, love for kids.

257

Influence of teachers at all educational levels.

258

Father was an educator. Always loved school and learning. Constant change in activities. Love people. High energy level.

262

I enjoy working with students.

259

A college mentor

266

Family history of teachers. Level of imcompetence of a former college professor.

269

Well respected career. Coaching.

270

Love of sports. Like kids. Time off in summer.

273

I love kids. I love learning new things.

275

No written comments

276

My past elementary teachers.

281

I enjoyed working with young kids. I felt I was a good leader and teacher. I am not concerned about money.

282

I love children. Always found myself "teaching others." Idolized my teachers. Liked the idea of time off during holidays and summers.

285

My love for children and English (writing and literature).

287

Working with kids. Enjoyed biology.

288

Being able to make a positive impact on students' lives.

291

The teacher I was working with in 1986.

297

Desire to have a positive impact on middle school students.

299

Acid rain, coaching football.

303

I love working with kids. I like to help others, and I like to be creative.

305

Support of family, friends. Prayer.

318

Variety. Working with kids. Creativity. Flexibility.

319

The desire to be a principal and the connection with students and staff.

323

The major factor that led me into teaching was the ability to make a difference in the lives of children.

325

The need for young, creative, and enthusiastic teachers.

326

Family support of my decision. I felt comfortable in education classes and in the classrooms I participated in.

327

No written comments

330

I enjoy being around people, I like to have a positive effect on peoples lives.

332

Love of children

336

Working with children, helping those with troubles or learning difficulties.

341

The opportunity to work with students. The time off during the year that I could use to spend with my future children.

343

Enjoyment of teaching/working with kids. Good teachers.

345

Ability to help others. My passion for learning.

346

High school math teacher, head football coach, head baseball coaches: role models

348

I have an aptitude for working with kids.

349

I though I could make a difference.

352

I enjoy being around kids and making a difference for them.

353

Love for children, role models, positive student teaching experience.

356

Disillusionment with educational consultants, desire to "give back" to community.

358

The calendar schedule. Ability to work when my children are at school and be home with them too.

364

As I said, as a child I decided I wanted to be a teacher, but I wanted to be a good mother first. Teaching is the best fit with motherhood.

368

The idea that I could take my learned skills and apply them to successful teaching strategies.

372

I wanted to make a difference in children's lives. I had some very good teachers while I was going through school, but I also had some very poor teachers. I felt the need to become a teacher so that I could make a difference not only in the classroom but

378

Coaching, summer off, vacations, opportunity to work with kids.

397

I had good teachers in school. They had the biggest influence. I always wanted to work with students. Having major holidays did not hurt either.

399

Opportunity, interest, working with young people.