Ever since I was in high school I can remember dreaming of being a teacher. I think it was Mrs. Gaetano who first set an impression upon me. But, it was Mrs. Leopold, my 12th grade English teacher, who really made me want to pursue teaching. I saw how happy she was with her life—and how much she truly loved to teach. How could I not want my life to be like that? I loved all of the subject matter; mainly because I loved to read. So, when I started looking at colleges, I solidified Adolescence Education English as my future plan. Ah, then came my first year at SUNY Cortland. Well, I guess it would be ingenuous to just confess that I had other, more important, plans when I came to Cortland my freshman year. But, when I started to get my act together, I began to think about the career I was choosing.
The second semester of my sophomore year I was told, by one of my preferred professors, that I would not be able to lecture on some of my favorite works of literature in high school classrooms. She then proceeded to taint all of the wonderful plans I had for my future. I was told how wretched adolescent children could be—and, gulp, how they don’t care about learning or the books I was going to love teaching them.
They wouldn’t care about Gulliver’s Travels…but, I love Gulliver’s Travels…
So, I figured that if they weren’t going to want to learn all of my favorite plays, novels, etcetera, that I wasn’t going to teach them—whatever—College professor it is (plus, how cool would it be to have my PhD).
But then, in my final year as an undergrad I spoke with the head of Graduate Studies, and she told me that I was looking at it all wrong. She, a college professor herself, who didn’t necessarily care for teaching at the high school level, explained to me that the beauty of teaching was to formulate a method to make the students interested…
Hmmmm…
So, then, that’s how I ended up in this class. She recommended that I capture a couple courses in the M.A.T. program which would allow me to understand (maybe) what it would be like (to teach at the high school level). I was skeptical as to what I would really learn from all of this…
Queue Shade Gomez…
Mr. Gomez really altered my perception on teaching high school. It wasn’t really his presentation that changed the way I was thinking…it was the videos he showed of the students themselves. I saw that he was able to allow his students to enjoy what they were learning…it was awesome.
All semester I have been really considering switching over to the M.A.T. program and fulfilling the dream that I had when I was in high school. I think this could actually happen. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what the rest of the semester has to offer me. But, as of right now, I am truly intriuged about how great this could be…
3 comments:
Ray,
If you have time, you should see if you could visit Shade's classroom. Even just being in a school may help you figure out what you'd like to pursue.
Personally, I think teaching is the best job in the world (also incredibly hard). It is always new and exciting, and you are always learning from your students.
Get thee to a classroom! See how it feels.
Ray, I had tears in my eyes when I read this post--for many reasons.
But one surely is that we profs need to be reminded of the power we have to influence ours students' perceptions.
I have had a 40 year long love affair with English AND with teaching.
It has been and is a wonderful life.
And I don't think you see me as boxed in to a particular notion of what Eng. teaching is or can be.
And hey I'm just happy to find another J. Swift fan!!! Love you,
Ray,
I wouldn't let others deter you from your dream. For the most part, I feel that this department is woefully backward (should I say this)? Like I said in class the other night, some classes are so incredibly close-minded and focused on lesson planning. When I took classes like this, I really began to question what I was doing in this program. But I also think that teachers who warned you of the "terrible" students you would inevitably have in your classrooms have never gotten the point. Not that I blame them completely, but I feel that a failure to reach students has created a good deal of frustration and cynicism, which is clearly evident in this program.
Fortunately, there are other classes which have inspired me to move beyond the dullness of teacher-centered lesson planning and classroom management. Shade's visit proves that teaching can be the most rewarding job....if we make the decision to teach and not teach at our students. I would also recommend that you read Nancie Atwells' In the Middle. Her book inspired me in much the same way that Shade's visit did. Ciao!
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