By: Emily Anna-Naturalist Intern
The thing I love
about teaching is that I’m not only teaching, but also learning something new
every day. Each class has taught me a
lesson in some form or another; whether it’s deciding to switch from paint to
markers when 12 rowdy 4-7 year olds walk in, or coming up with a last minute
craft for Camp Jorn an hour before they arrive because I’ve realized my games
won’t take up the whole time. I’ve been told that a good educator must be
flexible, so that’s something I’ve been working on.
I won’t
say that there aren’t times that I don’t get frustrated. Trust me, I do! Sometimes there are ten tiny voices asking me
for help at the same time and I get overwhelmed. But, in the midst of all of the chaos, I
always find myself laughing at the little things. Even when I’m having a tough day and the kids
aren’t behaving, there will be that one child who walks beside me and asks to
hold my hand; or a student telling fellow student why pollinators are important
so we shouldn’t kill bees. Those are the
moments that make being an educator all worth it. It’s a ton of work and preparation for a
couple of hours of class, but I always know my work is not in vain. I’m inspiring these kids to care about the
natural world! What job is m
Even on the tough days, there is always some quirky or inspiring moment
that keeps me pushing through. I’ll
share a few of the highlights with you:
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“How old are you?” –Ashley
“I’m 22.” –Me
“Oh. You look like
you’re 13, but only because of your height.” –Ashley
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“I like your headband” –Camp Jorn participant
“Why, thank you.” –Me
“I also really like your voice” –Camp Jorn participant
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“Connor asked if he could sleep in today and I told him no,
it’s Discovery Center day. Oh my
favorite day of the week, he said!” –Audrey, mother of participant
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“I love coming here.
I always learn something new!” –Ruth, mother and volunteer
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“Miss Emily, check out our new pet slugs!” –Emma and
Emiliano, as they open their containers to show me their new friends
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“The grand kids said they were a little disappointed at first
when it wasn’t Licia, but they love Emily!
They just raved about how much fun you were.” –Steve, board member
So, even the bad days really are good days. I feel so blessed to have figured out my
passion so early in life. I look forward
to growing as an educator and continuing to learn. I will continue to embrace the bad days
because those are the ones that really teach you and push you to grow. I will leave you with this final thought:
"You can teach a student a lesson for the day; but if
you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning
process as long as he lives." Clay P. Bedford
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