How I Realized I Wanted to Be a Teacher

My life has followed a circuitous pattern, in terms of jobs. My undergraduate degree is in philosophy, which would have been great if I hadn't graduated in a recession. (Would you like fries with that?) I did secretarial work for a couple of years, then got a law degree. Because I had kids (my first one was born six months after I graduated, and yes, it was on purpose!), I never practiced law, but worked in the legal field as a paralegal and legal editor.

After quitting a paralegal job because of an absolutely horrible boss (think Meryl Streep's character in "The Devil Wears Prada"), I worked as a children's librarian part-time for a while. Then I was unable to work for close to a year because of fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome (sorry for the TMI!). By this point, I was a single mom, and I needed to figure out what kind of job I wanted to hold. A friend said, "Have you ever thought about substitute teaching?"

Well, that caught me off guard! My godmother is a retired teacher, and I had many teachers I admired growing up, but I never wanted to be one myself. I am quite possibly the least patient person on the planet, so I thought I could never teach. But I thought, "What the heck," and I applied. I've been substituting for three years now, and would like to go back and get a Master's degree in Special Education. I have discovered I absolutely love teaching!

Sure, there are days when I come home and I'm exhausted and feel burnt out. But the good days outweigh the bad. I really hope I can make a difference in a child's life. I am drawn to special ed (note above reference to lack of patience, but somehow that's not an issue when I teach) because when the kids get it, they really get it. Seeing their faces light up is rewarding, and I know they are proud of themselves.

The kids whom many people might dismiss out of hand have so much to offer. They may have learning disabilities and/or special needs, but they are so sweet and want very much to learn. (On some days, I say they're nicer than the general education population! Not that gen ed kids can't be nice, but they're often smart enough to figure out how to try your patience.) I really enjoy working with them. I also find I need to be creative sometimes - it's not the straightforward "teaching to the test" that gen ed teachers have to do.

I teach pre-K through 5th grade, and I really like the little kids. I don't want to teach high school, and I refuse to teach middle school because I have a middle schooler at home. A whole classroom full of them would really be too much! I have found that I prefer to work with the younger kids. If I were going to do gen ed, I would want to teach kindergarten, and I have taught special ed kindergarten as a long-term sub. It's challenging, and can be physically demanding if you have runners (kids who bolt from the classroom, and you have to chase them down the hall), but it is still enjoyable overall.

You know how the Peace Corps uses the slogan, "The toughest job you'll ever love"? Well, that's how I feel about teaching.

So I finally know what I want to be when I grow up, and it only took me until I was 39!