Being a Teacher's Aide at a Catholic School

I have always had a special place in my heart for working with children. Even when I was a child myself I loved "taking care" of those whom were younger than me. My first job was when I was 10 years old as a babysitter. I thought I was very "grown-up." I always knew that one day I would have a career working with children. I was born and raised in a large Irish-Catholic family and attended Catholic school up until my sophomore year in high school. It was a major culture shock for me to attend a public school and I learned many lessons in what was right and wrong. Sometimes I had to learn those lessons the hard way. After high school I started working in the Catholic elementary school I had attended for nine years. I then realized working and being part of a Catholic school was definitely the place for me. Everything about working at the school felt right, I had no doubt in my mind that this was the career for me.

I have been working in the third grade classroom for 3 years now and I absolutely love it. I love that moment when you are teaching a child something and you can see when it clicks for them. It is the most rewarding feeling to know that you have taught a child something and have had a positive affect on their life. It is a feeling that is almost indescribable and the only people who would know that same feeling is another teacher. Although I could have this effect in any classroom, I I choose to be part of a Catholic school for many reasons. One of the main reasons that I believe Catholic school is right for me is the sense of community you have when being there. It is refreshing and comforting to be around people on a daily basis who share the same beliefs as you. I also enjoy teaching and sharing my faith with those around me. Their is a constant presence of religion in a classroom at a Catholic school.

My faith in my religion has been restored since working at Our Lady of Angels. It has brought me back to my strong faith in God that I had as a child. During my teen years I lost touch with my religion as many teenagers do and being back in an environment where religion is embraced has been the most positive and rewarding thing for me. I want to share my passion for religion and God with the children I teach. I hope to be able to provide them with the strong sense of community and faith that the Catholic church has to offer. I feel very lucky to be part of the Catholic family and to be able to educate others on Catholicism.