Passion

Passion is absolutely necessary for each and every educator. A reason that every person should want to teach is because he or she is passionate about something and feels that he or she can make a profound impact upon the lives of his or her students by sharing that knowledge. The best teachers I've had have been extremely passionate about their subjects. In high school, the three teachers who had the most impact on me were all extremely passionate about their subjects and about teaching in general. The most passionate of these has a profound impact upon the lives of his students and had a profound impact on me.

My AP Government teacher was the most passionate teacher I have come into contact with. Every year, he takes about 20 students to Washington D.C. to interview politicians about a topic that each researches individually throughout the first semester. He is very passionate about the trip to D.C., requiring each student to become an expert on his or her subject by requiring 30 pages of research papers, including a 15 page history of the topic. Each year, former members of "Washington Seminar" return to describe their topics and experiences. Each one is asked his or her major and over half of the returning students reply that they are political science majors. The trip was one of the best experiences of my life, and I almost became a political science major because of that program. I feel that he taught me more about the actual workings of the government than I could have learned from studying from a textbook. This class exists because of my teacher. He works to keep contacts with many politicians including the Embassy of Israel, the two Wisconsin state senators, and two of the state representatives. He works to fundraise for students who otherwise would not be able to attend the trip, and he makes the trip an unforgettable experience that is unlike anything else I have done. All this is possible because a teacher is so passionate about what he does that he is willing to do whatever it takes to make the program successful. It is this kind of passion that makes a successful educator.