I am still feeling nostalgic from last week. This week I want to talk about the next step when I lived in the late 80’s. Everyone has a story or a path that they follow even when they don’t know it. For me, I found myself working as an insurance geek in a large firm. It paid well but it did not move me. I needed something that would ignite me and it came one evening when my oldest brother talked to me about being a teacher. He talked about how I could influence students. The more he talked about his students it started to become something interesting and possible. I appreciated his words and within about a month I was working as a substitute in LAUSD and enrolled in the district intern program.
Now, it took me more than semester to feel comfortable with my new job. No one really walks into a classroom without training and gets it right. However, I did have a lot of help and by my second year it was much better. I learned that it matters what you do in helping others and asking others for help. I made mistakes like anyone else. What matters is getting better as a teacher. No one gets it right all the time but everyone should drive to be better and better each year. Together we are much better.
I spent five years teaching at an elementary school and another five years at a middle school. After ten years of being been a teacher in elementary and middle school I moved on to UCLA and Mount Saint Mary University. I would not have done this without my brother nudging me that night. I am thankful that we had that conversation.
What possible roads are there for you?
CLOFOS 