A recent trip to Washington D.C. left me feeling thankful for the country in which I live. The United States of America is a diverse place with a rich history of both acceptance and non-acceptance of people for who they are. Though I am not proud of the parts of American society that produce hate or un-acceptance, I am thankful that I live in a place where diverse opportunities are available to average citizens like me.
During my K-12 schooling, I moved many times and never had a consistent schooling experience. In fact, my high school counselor told me it was unlikely I would even graduate from college because I was on the “general education” track due to losing credits and having to re-earn credits over and over from state to state. I never failed a course and never even earned a lower than average grade. That counselor’s statement has been with me for over 20 years and actually became the impetus for me to not only graduate from college but to also obtain a Master’s degree.
I didn’t go to college with plans of being a teacher, but I did believe I would work with people because I like people. I like learning from people. I like that everyone has something different to bring to the table. I especially like conversations. Conversations with teenagers were a driving force for me to pursue the field of education after earning my Bachelor’s degree in psychology. Plus, I was adamant about being a resource for teens that needed support—I didn’t want any other teens to be told they had no hope of going to college, if they desired to go.
No matter the school where I taught, there was always a common factor—teens who were waiting for adults to believe in them. For the past 14 years, I have devoted my professional life to education. With four diverse experiences under my belt, I continue to seek opportunities and challenges as an educator and learner. If you are interested in learning more about how I’ve spent the past 14 years, feel free to check out my updated bio page (tab at top).
(Note: I have citizenry and government on my mind because I was in D.C. for a meeting of states to discuss the common social studies standards being developed)
