Gene Denton 12

I live in Southern Kansas City, Kansas, my community overall is the KCK area. I have grown up and lived in Kansas City my whole life. Education is important for everyone to have. Teachers are the foundations for our success, without them, students would be left without an education and guidance. We have all seen the teacher shortage and the number of teachers quitting their jobs. In Kansas, during the 2022-2023 school year, 529 new teachers were hired, and 328 teachers left their jobs according to The Topeka Capital-Journal. This issue isn’t just happening in Kansas or the KCK area, it is happening nationwide. Teachers are tired of being treated poorly, low compensation, lack of administration support, constant changes in curriculum, and the list goes on.  Teachers feel as though their hard work is not being valued by society. But, without teachers, none of us would be where we are today. Teachers teach students more than just math, reading, and science. Teachers teach us to be better people. Education is a necessity. A need within my community is more teachers and better treatment for our teachers. Teacher pay has always been way too low, teachers are educating the future leaders of America, they should be receiving way better treatment and much higher pay.

After high school, I plan on studying Elementary Education. Currently, in high school, I am taking a course through the University of Saint Mary’s. The class at my school is called Teaching as a Career and Teacher Internship. Three days a week I spend time at one of my school district’s elementary schools. While I am there I get to work with the teachers and students. I intern in a third and second-grade classroom. I spend my time there grading papers, working with students, copying things for my mentors, and observing. I love going to the elementary school and being extra help for the staff and students. I have built strong connections with the students and teachers and am expanding my social network. They are so welcoming, and I have already learned so much. On the days I am not at the elementary school I am learning different things about teaching. As a class we have discussed things like the philosophy of teaching, curriculum, how to deal with behavior, salary, how to handle mental health issues (teacher burnout), and more. I am so thankful I am getting a step ahead and setting myself up for a future in education. School has always been so important to me, and my teachers kept me excited and motivated. I want to be a role model for my future students and inspire them to keep going to school, work hard, and find their own passions. Teachers are a big part of my life, and I want my students to feel the same way.

My future education will help with the needs of my community because I want to be a teacher and work hard at my job. Something I can do as a teacher is advocate for myself and be a leader in the teaching space. In my teaching class, we are learning now how to deal with stress and find different tools to be the best version of ourselves. I understand that teacher burnout is becoming more common, and I am learning how to prepare myself for that.  I am excited to go into my career and make an influence on my student’s lives. Teaching is such an important career, and I am proud to go into this field. As stated previously, without teachers none of us would be where we are today. The rise in teacher shortage can be a scary thing to see as a future educator, but I know that teaching is my calling. I know that I will be able to make a difference in the teaching space. I will be a leader and do my very best at teaching.