"If your gift is serving others,
serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well."
I
never set out to be a teacher…teaching found me. Unlike most teachers; I didn’t
realize at an early age that my dream was to become a teacher. This passion
came much later in my life. I married, had a successful career in business,
started a family and was blissfully unaware of my potential until it happened…
the opportunity to share a gift I didn’t realize I possessed… the gift of
teaching.
I
was born and raised in Commerce, Texas, and I love this town. I am an only
child and my parents do everything they can to help me succeed. Growing up,
they always spoke of college as something that was certain in my future; so
naturally it was always one of my life goals. My independent nature was the
reason that I chose to leave Commerce and go to college at the University of
North Texas. I dreamed of a successful business career in Advertising. When I
met and married my husband Andy; I moved back to the Commerce area and tried to
keep the business dream alive by commuting to the Dallas metroplex. After my
son Gus was born; I settled for a secretarial position in Commerce to be close
to home, but my heart wasn’t in it.
On
the other hand; my husband comes from a family of teachers: his mom, Barbara,
sister, Amanda, and sister-in-law, Mandi, plus many extended family members who
are teachers. They were the ones who convinced me to consider teaching. Me?
Teach? I absolutely LOVE children and I have confidence in myself that I can do
anything that I set my mind to; however, I grew up with a stuttering problem
and the thought of standing in front of a room full of people (of any size) on
a daily basis terrified me. After much prayer; God led me to the decision that
would change my life forever. I enrolled in the Alternative Certification
program at Texas A&M University-Commerce and began classes to become a
teacher.
I
met Kathy Toole, Elementary Administrator of Phoenix Charter School, on the
last day of school before Christmas break. I heard that they might have an
opening for a first grade position coming open mid-year. I called the school
that day, and I showed up during my lunch hour to ask her for the chance to
teach. She must have seen something in me because she called the next week and
offered me the job. Me? Teach? I had 6 hours of education courses under my belt
and had NEVER stepped foot in a classroom until the day I stepped into my own
classroom. Thank God for my teacher family members and an awesome administrator,
Mrs. Toole. She saw the heart that I had for kids and teaching before my skills
developed. The day I left Phoenix; we both cried.
As I
mentioned before; I love Commerce. Commerce is my home, and I have the best
memories from my days as a student in Commerce ISD. This is the reason I came
back to teach here in 2008. I want to make a difference in the lives of the
children here and give them the same educational experience that I had. The world has changed and so have the
students of Commerce ISD. I want to plant a seed in these young children. This
seed will encompass a love of school, a love for themselves, and a love for
others. As the child grows; my prayer is that this seed will grow and give them
the confidence and drive to be successful in school. Since I teach
Kindergarten; I am proud to be able to plant this seed early in life.
My
love of teaching is two-fold. I love teaching my Kindergarteners, but I also
love the opportunities I am given to mentor university student teachers in my
classroom and to assist my fellow teachers as an Instructional Technologist on
my campus. Commerce ISD has cutting-edge educational technology in every
classroom and I am blessed to be a part of the team that implements and trains
new technology. This love of educational technology has inspired me to finish
my Master’s Degree coursework, and I plan to have my MS in Educational
Technology – Leadership by next summer.
I am
very blessed because I am able to do more than just teach; I inspire,
challenge, mentor, nurture, and counsel. Whenever I have “successes” with my
students in any of these areas; I know I have accomplished much more than just
a grade on a report card. I have contributed to a lifetime of learning.
Teaching has allowed me to have a positive impact on lives. At the end of the
day I know I have tried my best to reach every student who enters my room. I am
very fortunate that teaching found me, and has changed my life. I can’t think
of any other profession that would provide me the rewards and fulfillment that
I have found in teaching.
September 25, 2014 at 11:22 AM
Well, the teaching is not just a profession but more than that as you can make or break students life and career and in this way it's very responsible post. However, I have gone through your biography and that is quite interesting and you have explained it well.