"The Road Less Traveled" Reaction

The article "The Road Less Traveled" i thought was a great article to read. I felt that it had many great points that i don't think i necessarily would have thought about otherwise. "Teacher knowledge of the social, emotional, and cognitive domains, coupled with the ability to effectively apply strategies based on developmental principles, translates to increased student engagement and improved learning outcomes." Its a simple point that you need to know who you're teaching in order to successfully teach them. "In a national sample of over one hundred thousand sixth to twelfth graders, only 29 percent indicated that their school provides a caring, encouraging environment" After i read this statistic i thought back to my public school career in grades K-12. I have to say that maybe it was just me or maybe it was my town or school district but i loved my school system and my classrooms so this statistic was a little bit shocking to me. "Youthful energy, excitement, and enthusiasm often reside in the hallways and lunchrooms-not in the classroom." So many times i have asked the kindergartners i assist and teach for camp "whats your favorite thing about school?" i get the answer "recess" or "lunch time" one child even said "the bus ride to school with my best friend" This is the same as in middle school and high school if you asked me what my favorite thing about high school was i would probably throw back the answer of either track practice after school or child development and future educator courses i took. I also find the quote "In the past, pundits might have concluded that the best teachers are born-not made." I have to say that i agree somewhat with this statement. I feel that teaching is a profession unlike any other." I know it used to be said that teaching is a "calling" something you're meant to do above all else, for me i feel like this is true. In kindergarten i came home from school on the first day and told my parents i wanted to teach just like Mrs. Foreman. Year after year, grade after grade, it held true and i couldn't picture myself doing anything else nor did i want to think about other life paths. Spending time with children, helping them learn and that wonderful "ah!" moment they have when they finally understand something, and reading about teachers, education, or anything involving the development of children really intrigues me! I really enjoyed this article and honestly can't wait to see what other readings my education courses this semester will expose me to!