Hi, I'm applying for a teaching opportunity for middle school students in low-income areas.
The prompt is: How do you understand challenges and opportunities facing high-potential youth in underserved communities? Tell us why you will make a strong mentor and teacher for these students.
*How do you like my response to the prompt? Is the flow easy enough to follow? logical? Thanks for your feedback! :)
Looking back upon my high school years, I find it funny that the clearest memory I have occurs on a seemingly ordinary day, in an ordinary chemistry class, and during an ordinary second period. If you were one of my classmates that day, you would have seen me, Wendy, walking through the double doors as the bell rang (looking a bit more tired than usual) and sitting down in the front left of the classroom. You would have wondered why I had not shown up during first period that morning, but you wouldn't have noticed the way my chest expanded and shrunk against the gray V-neck, or the way my lungs, worn out from overuse that morning, were begging for a break because they were tired- just like the rest of me. During sophomore year of high school, I learned the entire act of appearing well. Wiping away tears was just like plugging in equations in chemistry: mindless.
I believe that the greatest issue that the youth of today face is not so much the economic struggle that their families must undergo, but the underlying factor that affects their ability to do well in school. Even with sufficient economic resources and opportunities, a student cannot perform well if they have personal struggles at hand. Lacking the encouragement and support, youth today do not have the ability to unleash their full potential or take on challenges knowing that they have someone who believes in them even if they fail. Thus, parents are essential in the lives of their children. Not only do parents mold the minds of the next generation, creating the foundation to which their children think and perceive, but they also contribute to their child's success. Without that foundation, everything that a student has can turn into nothing.
I believe I have the ability to relate to the students because similarly to them, I would not have chosen the environment in which I grew up in if I had a choice. I would not have chosen for Mom to undergo depression. I would not have chosen an incredibly detrimental and instable family life that interfered with my ability to do well in school. I'm sure that if the students had a choice, they would wish for something similar. Despite the fact that I had the resources all my life, the foundation which supported me slowly crumbled underneath me at one point. I know that whether it is economic struggles or family struggles, there is a foundation in which we need to give middle school students to help them succeed in the future, no matter what kind of hardships they are facing.
If I have the opportunity to teach students, my goal will be to give them a strong foundation. I want them to know that they have a teacher who supports them, recognizes their true potential despite the lack of economic opportunities or emotional support they have. My goal is to teach them not to personalize their surroundings and to teach them how to prevail in the face of challenges.
