Grace LiuGrace Liu is a freshman in Elementary Education from Hoffman Estates, Illinois. She is a language enthusiast and is pursuing a Spanish endorsement. Over the past year, she has tutored at the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club, which has infinitely improved her freshman year. In the future, she hopes to teach upper elementary and instill confidence and a love of learning in her students.
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Student Voices with Grace Liu
On Why She Chose Education
A lot of my introductions with new people sound similar. First, we talk about where we live and where we're from. After that, we talk about our majors. Usually whenever I tell people that I'm in Elementary Education, they ask questions, such as "Do you like kids?" but the question that never fails to be asked is "Why?"
Before, I would always laugh and say, "I like to teach. I like kids. So this is a perfect job for me." However, there's so much more than that, and I think it is really important that I not only give the simple answer of enjoying teaching and working with kids, but that I also explain my passion for education and desire to change the world. I believe that a strong educational background can change any person. No matter who they are or where they've come from, everyone has the limitless capacity to learn. I'm not saying that each person's abilities to learn are the same; different people learn at different paces, and it's necessary to understand that. However, everybody deserves the opportunity to learn. In my high school Critical Thinking class, we once discussed the definition of "giftedness." And several of my classmates believed that only some people are gifted. I adamantly disagree with that opinion. Yes, some people are very talented in academics, and others are in sports, and so on. But just because someone's giftedness is not objectively measured through a grade or a score does not mean that they are not gifted. To tell a person that they are not gifted in some way, shape, or form is to tell them that they cannot achieve their dreams. It makes them give up before they even started trying, and that is a tragedy. As an educator, I want to ensure that all of my students believe that they can reach their potential, and I want to provide them the resources they need to do so.
The people who have influenced me the most are my third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers. They all were so creative, and there was never a day of boredom. They held high expectations for each student, both behaviorally and academically. Ultimately, they inspired me because I felt that they truly cared about their students and our school. To be honest, I can’t remember how they taught or what they taught specifically, although I know they taught well because I have those skills now, but I do remember how they cared for their students. I’ve mentioned this several times before, but my third grade teacher allowed us to write in journals to her, and took time each weekend to respond to them. In fourth grade, I remember a moment when I sobbed in my teacher’s arms, and she sat there, comforting me. In fifth grade, after the school year, my teacher invited the entire class to her house for a party. They all went above and beyond what any teacher is expected to do. They were my role models as a child, and they still are my role models as I study to become a teacher, myself.
The biggest aspect I want to embody is unconditional love. If I truly love and care about my students, I think everything else will come through: patience, kindness, selflessness, etc. With unconditional love, I will put the extra time and effort into engaging with my students and to getting to know them as people. Elementary school is a critical time of learning, in which students decide whether or not they like school. If they decide that they do, it can set them up for a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Like my past teachers did for me, I intend to steer my students on that path.
Before, I would always laugh and say, "I like to teach. I like kids. So this is a perfect job for me." However, there's so much more than that, and I think it is really important that I not only give the simple answer of enjoying teaching and working with kids, but that I also explain my passion for education and desire to change the world. I believe that a strong educational background can change any person. No matter who they are or where they've come from, everyone has the limitless capacity to learn. I'm not saying that each person's abilities to learn are the same; different people learn at different paces, and it's necessary to understand that. However, everybody deserves the opportunity to learn. In my high school Critical Thinking class, we once discussed the definition of "giftedness." And several of my classmates believed that only some people are gifted. I adamantly disagree with that opinion. Yes, some people are very talented in academics, and others are in sports, and so on. But just because someone's giftedness is not objectively measured through a grade or a score does not mean that they are not gifted. To tell a person that they are not gifted in some way, shape, or form is to tell them that they cannot achieve their dreams. It makes them give up before they even started trying, and that is a tragedy. As an educator, I want to ensure that all of my students believe that they can reach their potential, and I want to provide them the resources they need to do so.
The people who have influenced me the most are my third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers. They all were so creative, and there was never a day of boredom. They held high expectations for each student, both behaviorally and academically. Ultimately, they inspired me because I felt that they truly cared about their students and our school. To be honest, I can’t remember how they taught or what they taught specifically, although I know they taught well because I have those skills now, but I do remember how they cared for their students. I’ve mentioned this several times before, but my third grade teacher allowed us to write in journals to her, and took time each weekend to respond to them. In fourth grade, I remember a moment when I sobbed in my teacher’s arms, and she sat there, comforting me. In fifth grade, after the school year, my teacher invited the entire class to her house for a party. They all went above and beyond what any teacher is expected to do. They were my role models as a child, and they still are my role models as I study to become a teacher, myself.
The biggest aspect I want to embody is unconditional love. If I truly love and care about my students, I think everything else will come through: patience, kindness, selflessness, etc. With unconditional love, I will put the extra time and effort into engaging with my students and to getting to know them as people. Elementary school is a critical time of learning, in which students decide whether or not they like school. If they decide that they do, it can set them up for a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Like my past teachers did for me, I intend to steer my students on that path.