Debbie Lackie

Debbie Lackie

Debbie Lackie, mother of 4, teacher, and wife, always knows how to help others and get through tough situations. My hero happens to be my mother. Her goal in every situation is to make others happy. She always knows the right things to say and do and she never lets anyone down. She is the most selfless person I have ever met. I am a 15 year old student and I attend Capistrano Valley High School. As a student, I am always thinking about what I want to be when I grow up. I never even considered wanting to be a teacher until I went to work one day with my mom. It made me realize how great teaching is. You get to work with children and help teach them new things. I have always known I want to do something that involved helping children, and I realized teaching is the perfect job for me. I would like to be an elementary school teacher because the kids are still young enough to listen to the teacher and don't usually get themselves into trouble.

According to the Occupational Outlook handbook, an Elementary school teacher works with children to fulfill their learning needs. A teacher works with kids separately and together as a class to teach them everything they need to know. The website states that "Kindergarten and elementary school teachers help students learn and apply important concepts." Most teachers earn their bachelor's degree in elementary education; others have their master's degree. After college, they must go on to an internship and become a student teacher or observer. The average elementary school teacher earns $54,550 per year. Some related careers are childcare workers, librarians, and instructional coordinators. Some new developments are that teachers must know how to use new technology. Updated technology is in every classroom and the teachers are required to know how to work it. Being a teacher is definitely not an easy job, but the work if worth it if it means helping and teaching children.

My mother, Debbie Lackie, has always loved working with children and helping others. Growing up, she was the youngest of 4 children. Being the youngest, she never got to experience what being older and taking care of someone felt like. She always had a love for children and decided to become a babysitter. She babysat her neighbors most of the time because it was close to home and she had her parents close by to help her if needed. In high school, she began babysitting at least 3 times a week. By the time she was a junior in high school, she knew she wanted to become a teacher because of her love for children. Debbie attended Gridley High in Gridley, California. She then went to college at Chico State, where she met my dad, Matt Lackie. He was two years older than my mom so when he graduated, he moved back to Mission Viejo. My mom then decided she wanted to be closer to my dad so she later transferred to Fullerton State University. She graduated in 1994, majoring in Child Development. She then got a job as a student teacher at an elementary school in Anaheim, California. After her and my dad got married in 1998, they bought a house here in Mission Viejo. She became a 3rd grade teacher at an elementary school in Irvine and still works there to this day. Debbie now has 4 children, all girls. She enjoys teaching 3rd graders part time and doing things with my sisters and me. My parents are still happily married and my family couldn't be better.

My mother, Debbie, enjoys volunteering in her free time. Every Monday she works at my younger sister's school. She helps the teacher organize and complete what needs to be done. She also participates in the annual Walk for Wishes every year. She does everything she can to help the community. I have never seen her pass up an opportunity to do something that will benefit our city or people. She tells my sisters and me to put others before our selves. She has always taught me to be as selfless as I can be because it will benefit me in the future. Even if something possibly could not be good, I shouldn't do it because you never know what could happen. I feel as though her ability to want to help others itself benefits our community. With her countless volunteer hours and her willingness to teach others, our community is very lucky to have her.

I myself know that I want to be a teacher when I am older. My mom is an amazing woman and she inspires me each and every day to be myself and not let others bring you down. While I am in high school, I want to participate in the soccer program for all four years. I hope to take a few AP classes eventually when I am ready to commit to the class. I will graduate high school in 2019 and hopefully go to college at San Diego State University. There, I will complete 4 years of college and earn a degree in Child Development. I hope to live in San Diego and earn a job as a student teacher. I will do that for as long as I need to, then eventually I will get a job at an elementary school somewhere nearby. I would like to teach 2nd or 3rd grade. I hope to get married at about 27 and have one child by about 30. My mom is who inspired me to be who I am. She has taught me to work hard for my goals and never give up. I one day hope to be just like my mom because she truly is an amazing lady.