Why I Wanted to Be a Social Studies Teacher?

I did not have the best social studies teachers when I was in high school. My social studies teachers
never really tried to give their best when they taught us. Well, there was one who tried to hold decent
classes and engaged us during discussions but not to the extent that would inspire me to become a social
studies teacher. But why did I still want to be a social studies teacher? This essay will narrate what
inspired me to become a social studies teacher and what kind of social studies teacher I want to be in the
21st century.
Social studies is close to my heart. When I was young, I was always interested in history and
politics. I grew up in a household where I would hear my father and grandfather talk about local and
national politics. I was also fortunate enough to get the best tickets in the house when my grandfather, the
greatest raconteur I met in my life, would tell stories about our town and his days as a sugarcane factory
worker. I would always be interested in the story of a place, thing, or tradition. Hearing stories or
anecdotes about the past makes me feel like I am time-traveling in the past and that would always pique
my curiosity. I would always wonder, “What if I was alive at that certain time in the past?” Meanwhile, I
was very fascinated when I heard my grandfather and father converse about politics. They would talk
about it with so much vigor that I would be fascinated by why they are very passionate about it. I didn’t
know back then that history and politics were part of an even bigger subject that aims to produce active
and engaged citizen⸻social studies. I believe that social studies is an essential subject in the nation-
building process as it equips and educates learners to engage and be part of the democratic process. The
success of a democratic nation lies in the ability of its citizens to participate in the decision-making
process of its government. If social studies is not taught well, learners will be raised to become passive
citizens. My experiences with my father and grandfather laid the foundations for my love for history and
politics and later in social studies.
But I did not have the best social studies teachers in high school. They were the typical social studies
teachers who would talk excessively about their personal lives instead of the lessons. Yes, experiences are
vital in social studies classes to enrich discussions but not to the extent that the whole duration of the class
would revolve around those experiences. Two of them would even sell candies and school supplies before
starting the class. I reflect on that experience of mine and I can’t help but laugh at it but that also saddens
me. Frankly, I did not have any meaningful class discussions in social studies when I was in high school
that inspired or resonated with me to this day. You can imagine the disappointment I had because I was
interested in topics under social studies, but we were not taught very well about them. I even envy my
college classmates who had teachers who inspired them to become a social studies teacher. They are full
of so much pride when they talk about them. But I can no longer change that fact. So what I did was turn
those experiences into inspirations. Inspirations that fueled me to be a social studies teacher.
I told myself I wanted to be a social studies teacher which I never had in my academic life. When
asked why I wanted to be a teacher during the panel interview before I was accepted into the University,
I answered that I wanted to redeem the social studies department of my high school alma mater. I want to
improve the teaching quality and educate and immerse my future students in the significance of social
studies. I have turned those disappointments into inspirations to better deliver social studies lessons in the
future. And I am exceedingly grateful that I am a social science major student at one of the best
institutions to become a teacher in the country. My classes in this course are far beyond those dull social
studies classes I had in high school. When I contemplated what kind of social studies teacher I wanted to
become, the first thing that came to mind was to be an engaging teacher. I guess this is borne out of my
experiences in boring discussions. With the different teaching strategies and approaches I learned, I
would be able to engage my students by asking meaningful questions and conducting interactive
activities. I know these are very basic teaching techniques but these are things that I have not been fully
immersed with, back in high school, especially in my social studies subject. But of course, those are just
fundamental things that I want to establish. As a 21 st century teacher, I want to immerse my students in
the community. One thing that I am most thankful for about my course is that it allows us to serve the
community. I want to do the same with my future students. At the core of social studies is to produce
active and engaged citizens. Hence, allowing students to immerse themselves in the community and learn
firsthand the realities on the ground, is the first step toward awakening their sense of social responsibility
which could spark their interest in making a difference in the community.
These reasons have become the driving force why I strive to become a better, if not the best, social
studies teacher in my own right. I am grateful that the foundations for my love for social studies were
sparked at an early age. I firmly believe that is instrumental in sustaining me throughout my journey in
this course. Likewise, I am still grateful for my social studies teachers back in high school because I
became determined to uplift the teaching quality of social studies. Ultimately, I want to become a social
studies teacher who will inspire learners and potentially spark their love for the subject.