Where It All Began...

 

The Road To Miss Murray

Stop #1: Where It All Began...

Before we begin to discuss my passion projects or the start of this fantastic research experience, I believe that it is first important to take a step back and consider where it all began. Ever since I was a child I knew that I wanted to teach. Although this may seem impossible and frankly unrealistic, I assure you that this assertion is true. As the daughter of a teacher, I spent much of my early childhood life immersed in an educational setting. I like to think that I was raised within the four walls of a classroom, and in my mind, that was the best gift I could have ever received. Just think...unlimited whiteboard access and a brand new SmartBoard ready for exploration! In all seriousness, I loved my mother's classroom and I began to consider it a second home. I would watch my mom teach during the week and lead drama on the weekend and I was inspired. Seeing children's faces light up as they acquired new knowledge or made connections to the material seemed to hold a kind of intangible magic that I don't think I can ever put into words! I had found something that mattered, something that made an impact, and beyond that, something that changed lives. From that point on, I knew that there was nothing else in this world for me...you could say that I was hooked. My love of education did not stop there. In fact, I began to turn my admiration for this field into an inspiration to work hard and pursue my dream. At six or seven I began to practice teaching at home, forcing my siblings, cousins, and frankly any able-bodied relative to play a game that I so intelligently called "school". If I could not find a willing participant, stuffed animals were set up in rows and they became my class for the day. As soon as my regular school day ended, I would jump off the bus eager to go set up my classroom and begin my "student's" school day. To most outside observers, the idea of rushing home to start another pretend school day after a full seven hours in a classroom sounds borderline psychotic, but to me, it makes perfect sense. You see, the classroom is the place that I feel the most at home and the thing that brings me joy. For that shy young girl, it became a place where I could break out of my shell and be myself. On top of that, it allowed me to work with children! Frankly, this life was a dream come true and because of this, my teaching mania did not stop there. I actually began to ask Santa for special pointers, globes, and even Expo markers for Christmas. In fact, I would do my homework twice just so I could write it on the board before copying it onto my paper. As years went by, this desire to teach turned into a calling to make a difference, and as they say, the rest is history. I slowly began to work towards my lifelong dream, hoping and praying that each day I would find myself one step closer to becoming Miss Murray for a group of bright young students. That's why, the fact that I sit here today writing my very first blog post as a teacher candidate, feels almost surreal. Could it be that I am well on my way to making my dreams a reality? 

When my love of learning began: