Q. How long have you been teaching? Why did you become a teacher?
A. I’ve been teaching a total of 33 years, 25 here. I guess I became a teacher for multiple reasons. I think one of them was just when I realized in college, a lot of people were coming and asking me for help, and I was able to help them, particularly with math, that made me say, ‘Oh, maybe I will be a teacher’. So kind of came from that, but lots of influences. I have several generations in my family that have been teachers, and you know, as a little kid, I thought playing school was super fun, so lots of little pieces, I think, came together to make me realize that teaching was a good career for me.
Q. Looking back on your career, what would you say you’re most proud of?
A. I think it’s any time I’d have a student who may be struggling with learning something and then they make growth. I think it’s all those little moments that I’m most proud of, because that’s so powerful for that individual student, something that was really hard and felt unmanageable became something that they could, you know, do well with and work toward being successful. I think that a really important part of education is not only like actually learning but learning how to work through challenges and accomplish your goals, whether it’s learning something or you know how you’re going to live your life.
Q. How has teaching changed you, both personally and professionally?
A. My understanding of the world and individuals is different. I think of who I was as a 22 year old starting teaching, and what I knew and understood then versus what I now understand as a 55 year old. I don’t know if that was just solely because of teaching, but teaching has exposed me to lots of different people and how I understand students, and their learning. I think, if nothing else, it’s been more formalized over the years, like I have a general understanding of their learning.
Q. Do you have any advice for your students as they continue on their academic journeys?
A. Working hard and persevering is probably the most important thing, with anything, that you do. Everything in life will, at times, throw at you a challenge, whether it’s a learning challenge, an obstacle of employment or a person you have to work with, not giving up, persevering, and using your resources are critical in how we navigate the world. Some people call it like tenacity, when you see a challenge, whether it’s an educational one or outside of education, use your resources, you put in your best effort, ask questions, and don’t give up.
