Introductory Post

Why Teach? 

Hello everyone! My name is Channing Hanks and I have known I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. To my family, it was no surprise that my favorite activity to do was to "play teacher." My mom was the principal at the elementary school I attended. My dad is an educator as well. As if having both parents in the education field was not enough, all of my grandparents are educators as well. My grandfather was the head principal at one of the high schools and is now a special education teacher at another high school in the district. My grandmother is a paraprofessional in the special education department at the same school. My other grandmother was a writing teacher at the same high school where my grandpa was the principal; they even worked together there simultaneously. Needless to say, I have been surrounded by education my entire life, and hearing their stories impacted me and pushed me to go into Elementary Education. I would like to return to Houston to teach there as that is the community that I am used to. I have a passion for younger children as they are the most influenced at a young age.  One of my favorite teaching influencers, Bailey Stokes, really shows what it is like to give your all to make her student's days. She is who I hope to teach like one day. 

In high school, I participated in a program called "Ready, Set, Teach" which is where high school students travel to the neighboring elementary schools and student taught for a few hours at the end of each day. What is interesting about that is that my mother was the one to get that program started in my district at the school she was the principal! This program really solidified that I wanted to be in the teaching field. I would love to be in the younger grades with a specialization in reading and writing. I am not too much of a math and science girl. I would say that my passions in life are to make connections everywhere I go, and to have fun and see the good in every day! Some of my favorite TikTok teachers are some who are not on the list that was provided. I am on TeacherTok and have found some great ones to watch. These include @peanutbuterandkelly, a second-grade teacher who does "days in my life", @kinder.and.kindness, a kindergarten teacher who goes above and beyond when it comes to making memories with her students, and @myclassroomdiaries, a second-grade teacher who gives teacher tips and fun ways to teach lessons and implement classroom management. I think social media is a great way for teachers and aspiring teachers to connect and share ideas!