Reflecting on General Education and Career

Upon graduating, I look forward to working as a high school teacher in New York. To
become a teacher in New York, I will be required to have completed a bachelor’s degree in
Education and an accredited teacher certification program. Certification programs are available
both on-site and online. There are two types of certificates for teachers offered in New York. The
first one is the Initial Certificate, which is valid for the first five years after one starts teaching,
after which one gets the second professional certificate which is renewable after every five years
(Become a Teacher, 2020).
Through my general education courses, I have gained many skills that will make me a
successful teacher once I become certified. First, I have obtained communication skills. A huge
part of teaching entails communicating with students, parents, and even colleagues. Through
interacting with my peers in different discussion forums, replying to their posts, and their replies
on my posts, I have become an effective communicator. Thus, skill is very instrumental in my
role as a teacher, because I will be in communication with my students, and this will ensure that I
establish a good rapport with them as I create a safe and secure learning environment.
Further, I have acquired critical thinking skills by studying PHL103. I will use this skill
to teach students how to think critically. I learned that thinking could be taught and fostered in
the classroom. as a teacher, I have a role to impart my students with this skill and help them
enhance it. However, without having first acquired skill, I would not be able to teach it. Thus,
obtaining this skill has shaped me into a model teacher, and I cannot wait to guide my students
into developing the skill. Also, I have acquired the skill of confidence, which has helped me

engage with my peers and share my opinions and research on different discussion forums. The
skill of confidence is critical to my job as a teacher as I will be teaching students and I have to
elude confidence as I deliver content in the classroom. Besides, I will be encouraging students to
be confident during presentations, and I can only do this if I exhibit the same confidence.
GEN 103 imparted me with the skill of teamwork, which I look forward to exercising
once I become a teacher. Through teamwork, I will work with colleagues to prepare learning
profiles for individual students and this will come in handy in selecting the most appropriate
differentiated strategies of teaching. I have also acquired the skill of organization, and this will
be essential as I will have to juggle a number of tasks as a teacher. My role will include grading,
planning, attending meetings, and even instruction. Thus, I will be required to be organized so
that learners can acquire the skill as well.
My newly acquired knowledge and skills have shaped both my professional and personal
development. On a personal level, I am now able to plan my activities well. I have become more
organized and unlike before, I arrive for meetings early, never miss appointments with clients
and attend school meetings promptly. The courses I have taken have impacted my life positively
and I am now more purposeful in what I spend my time on. I have acquired knowledge of how
the brain works, and I have a better understanding of my children’s growth and development and
the milestones they are making. Professionally, I feel ready to teach. I know how to prepare
lesson plans and unit plans. I understand growth and development and this has enabled me to
understand people better. I will exercise this knowledge more, once I get a classroom to teach.
I am already putting my education into use. I coach a basketball team, and I feel that I
play the role of a teacher to the young players. I impart them with the necessary skills and train
them on how to be the best players that they can be. This is one way of putting my education into

use. Since I do not charge the players, I feel like I am already giving back to my community.
Upon graduating and acquiring the necessary certification, I will put my education into use by
teaching in a high school. I will also double in as a career counselor, not in a specific institution,
but within my community. I will provide young people with advice on careers to select, or areas
in the professional world that they can venture in depending on their interests, potential and
qualifications. Overall, I am glad I made the decision to switch careers from the world of finance
to education because I feel that this is where my passion is, and I am fulfilling my desires. I look
forward to being an accredited teacher in New York.

References

Become a Teacher. (2020). Become a Teacher in New York. Retrieved 19 February 2020, from
https://teach.com/careers/become-a-teacher/teaching-credential/state-requirements/new-
york/