Mother Knows Best

I think I might have told some of you this story already, so I apologize for the repeat...

I guess I've always known that I was meant to be a teacher. I started babysitting from an early age, taking care of my two younger brothers and other kids in the neighborhood. In high school, I branched out into teaching summer programs in theater and art for the Parks and Recreation Department. By the time I was a University student, I was teaching in after school programs for the Minneapolis Public School system. However, throughout my young adulthood, I tried my hardest to avoid becoming a teacher, pursuing my other passion, theater. Of course, I don't need to tell you the odds of securing a job in the theater world, but that was inconsequential to me. I was bound and determined to avoid becoming a teacher. Do you want to know what was my biggest motivation for acting like this? My mother.

While my mother is a wonderful and lovely person, it has always been my personal goal to do exactly the opposite of what she wanted me to do. I don't know why. Perhaps it was that smug "I told you so" kind of grin she would get when I went against her advice and, more often than not, failed. So when my mother informed me that she took a personality quiz from some pop psychology book to determine what her children's future careers would be, I bristled when I heard her prediction for me. You guessed it- it was that I would become a teacher.

So, I spent the better part of my twenties trying to run away from my mother's forecast. Yet I always ended up working with kids in some way, shape or form. First it was the Montessori job, then later the day care downtown. Finally, I decided enough was enough, and tried my hand at teaching English to adults in Japan. That lasted about a month. I missed kids! So, I was lucky enough to land a job at an international preschool and stayed there for almost four years. I had such a great time working with kids and families not only from Japan but from all over the world. The connections I made there and the progress I saw the children make, particularly with their English and Reading Readiness skills, made me realize that teaching was the most enjoyable, rewarding profession for me.

It took me a while to actually get organized and come back here, but thus far I am happy with the choice I have made to study at Lewis and Clark. I really enjoy working with you, my classmates and the wonderful discussions we have in class. I only hope that I can transform this knowledge and experience in a way that will benefit my students. I strive to fight the odds and stay committed to helping my students find academic success for a long, long time. I guess I also hope that I can make my mother proud ;)