By Bonnie Heykoop

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Bonnie. She
lived in the small town of Fremont, MI with her parents and younger
brother. One day when she went to school at Fremont Christian she
decided that she was going to become a bus driver. Whenever she was
asked what she wanted to be when she grew up this was her response.
Bonnie realized that she thought she would love to drive and she
could be around all the kids that are going to school. People kept
telling her that being a bus driver wasnt really a job, so she decided
to keep thinking about something different she could do when she
grew up.
Some people have to discover what they want to be during
high school, but sometimes there are those kids who decide what they
want to be when they are little and stick to that decision until
college. Yes, Bonnie was one of these little kids. After having Mrs.
Witte in 3
rd
grade, she quickly decided that she loved school and
wanted to be a teacher instead of being a bus driver. Now when
people asked her what she wanted to be she proudly declared her
wish to become a teacher just like Mrs. Witte. She wanted to be that
one teacher that everyone loves.
As Bonnie continued through middle and high school she had
the notion in her head that she was going to become a great teacher.
Little did she know that she would begin to second guess herself.
During her senior year in high school, Bonnie began to think really
hard about what she should study in college and where she should
study. The ideas of being a dental hygienist or realtor also crept into
her mind. She loves houses so she considered being a relator. She
also thought it would be cool to wear scrubs everyday, but she knew
she hated blood so she couldnt become a nurse, so a dental
hygienist came to her mind.
Silly Bonnie, what was she thinking? She had no idea what
Gods plan for her was and she definitely didnt know what he had in
store for her during her senior year in high school.

During the 3
rd
trimester of her senior year in high
school, Bonnie received the opportunity to go to the local
Christian elementary school to teacher aide for the last two
hours of the day. Two of these days were spent in the preschool
Spanish Immersion room. God opened up this opportunity for
Bonnie because he wanted to show her the joy she would receive
in watching little kids learn. He used this experience to reveal
to her what he had in store for her all along.
Gods purpose for Bonnie is to become a teacher and
not only teach children about the basics subjects or how to
become a good citizen, but her main purpose is to further his
Kingdom and teach them about him. So today, Bonnie is at
Calvin studying elementary education, which is where she
believes God has called her to be.
I attended Fremont Christian
School from Preschool to 8
th

grade
My favorite teacher was Mrs.
Witte in 3
rd
grade
Why?
Because she got to know
me
She treated me as more
than a student
She made learning fun
and educational

I graduated from Western
Michigan Christian High School
My favorite teacher was the AP
English teacher, Mrs. VanHekken
Why?
Because she took the time to
get to know me outside of
class
She always had time for me
I can still text her with
questions on papers in college
1. My goal is to teach in a 1
st
grade classroom at a
Christian school, so I can share the love of Jesus with my
students.
2. I want to create a learning environment that is
educational yet fun at the same time.
3. I want to make a difference in my students lives by
being the one they can come to for other things besides
school work. I want to make myself available to them
just as my favorite teachers did for me.
Provide a safe learning
environment where the kids are
eager to learn
Challenge each and every
student to perform at their best
Teach them how to interact with
one another
Incorporate all the different
learning styles in my teaching
Be a teacher to my students and not
their best friend
Get to know every student on a
deeper level
Become involved in the schools
extracurricular activities to build
relationships with the students and
staff
Collaborate curriculum with other
teachers

Teach in a way that all students
will be able to learn

Be willing to learn along with your
students

Help those that need special
attention

Having the courage to teach when
new challenges arise

Accept failure and
learn from your
mistakes

Having patience

Love on your students
and show respect for
them

When walking down the halls at
my school visit to Ada Christian
School I really saw myself as a
teacher. It just seemed right. I
was comfortable and forgot that
I was only visiting there and not
teaching. This visit made me
100% positive that God has
called me to be a teacher!