From a young age, senior Atalaya Burden loved helping other children, including her siblings and kids at her church daycare.  However, she rarely imagined teaching children as a serious career option until recently.  

“I always knew I wanted a career that involved working with children in some way, but for a long time, I said that [it] would never be teaching,” Burden said. 

That is, until a recent experience on a summer mission trip in Mexico.

“I taught a class of preschoolers with a translator. It went really well and was the highlight of my time there,” Burden said.“After that, I started considering that maybe I actually could enjoy being a teacher.”  

At Tennessee High, she registered for Introduction to Teaching as a Profession, Teaching as a Profession I, and, eventually, taught a 7th-grade Social Studies Class. 

After completing her course of study, Burden gained the opportunity to be a part of work-based learning as an Educational Assistant for Tennessee Middle, helping students with math or reading IEPs. 

“The classes I took were very enjoyable, answered a lot of questions or misconceptions I had about teaching, and they allowed me to view teaching in a new light,” Burden said. “They were very conversation-based, allowed me to gain confidence in teaching and planning lessons, and overall, were a really great atmosphere to be in.” 

After graduating from Tennessee High, Burden plans to attend Toccoa Falls College and major in Middle grades math and history, fulfilling her plans of teaching and helping kids.