Public Education Perspectives

Why teach?

By Alicia Bata, NDU Vice President of Education

“What would you like for your birthday?” my mother asked me before I turned six years old. “A blackboard and chalk,” I said. I told her I wanted to play teacher!

I remember lining up my dolls and stuffed animals to “teach” them how to draw and how to spell out the alphabet or their names. I am sure some of my colleagues started their “teaching career” in a similar fashion. I could never have imagined this would become the career of a lifetime.

I have spent the past 36 years in classrooms in the public schools of North Dakota (and a couple more years before that in Buenos Aires, Argentina, tutoring at an American Institute, while I attended university to obtain my first undergraduate degree). No, I was not planning on being an educator for my life-long career, but life sometimes takes unexpected turns, and this profession became my passion.

There is a sense of purpose and achievement every single day of my life. Doing what I love, day in and day out, is a wonderful feeling. As surprising as it may be to some people, I enjoy spending my days with teenagers - they keep me on my toes! On top of that, I truly believe that teaching is the mother of all professions. Not only do we teach the basics, but we also expand students’ knowledge of the world and other cultures far away from us, as well as encourage students to use their imagination, creativity and critical thinking.

I have heard it said that teaching is more than a profession - it is a calling. We often talk about people having the “heart of a teacher.” Some days we counsel and comfort, some days we celebrate successes, and others we share sadness for a loss. As my students enter my classroom, whether they are taking the class in person or at far away ITV sites, I remind them that we are a team. Being human is a part of this occupation.

I am not counting my days, months or years to retirement. I do not know exactly when that will happen, but I am certain that leaving the classroom will be a very tough decision for me. How many other professions can offer a sense of accomplishment every single day? I hope “Señora Bata” has made a difference in students’ lives, because they certainly have made an impact on mine.