I teach a "Careers in Education" class for high school students. It is an elective for them and they also receive college credit through a program at a local university. We discussed your column in class last week. In addition, for a class assignment I had my students write you a letter.
If you have space and time, we would love it if you could select one of these to answer in your column.
All you had to do was mention that your students wanted to learn, and I was hooked. I am happy to share some information about myself with your students. I chose the letters that asked about my experiences first. Later, I will answer more of their questions about becoming teachers themselves. I am excited that you are helping them become excited about a career in education. It is the field I know, and I highly recommend it.
What grades did you teach and what inspired you to become a teacher?
My mom was the office manager of my elementary school, St. Polycarp. This was a small private school, and I attended First through Eighth grades with the same small group of children. It was a unique experience that I loved. Since my mom worked at the school, she became friends with my teachers. I would stay after school and help them in their classrooms. From a very early age, my mom and my teachers inspired a love for school. At my wedding, my First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth grade teachers, along with several other women involved with the school, were all there to celebrate with me. When I got my first job as a full time Third Grade teacher in LA Unified School District, my third grade teacher helped me prepare.
I have taught Kindergarten, First, Second, Third, and Fifth Grades. When you become an elementary teacher, you need to be ready to step into any grade. My experience helped me understand the whole child and the importance of my child development classes.
What is the most rewarding thing about being a principal or teacher?
It is easiest to find the rewarding part in teaching. As a teacher, you see your students learn and grow each day. All different types of students teach you each day how lucky you are to be before them as their instructor. When you offer a positive influence and a professional commitment, you see them blossom and it changes you in the most positive ways.
As a principal, you need to develop programs and experiences to find the rewards. You are often dealing with the problems at a campus - behavior problems, management issues, parent complaints - so it can sometimes feel negative. On the other hand, when you solve these problems or resolve issues, it can feel very rewarding. When you stay focused on helping others - teachers, students, parents, and the school population - it helps offer a sense of purpose. A career in education is rewarding because it offers you this sense of purpose. You see that you are making a difference in the lives of children and there is no more important job than that.
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