Destination 2: Teaching? Na, I’ll do something else.

The apple of teaching

As a teacher now, looking back at the times you experienced in high school, you see just how much society has evolved over the years and how important your teachers were to your development. No matter what, you will always recall that teacher who made your favorite class worthwhile attending. Mr. Todd, who is now a PE teacher at SAC, says his favorite subject was Math because he had “a good teacher, Mr. Adderley [,] who was the best fundamentalist in sports and math”. Ms. Culmer too, had a favorite Math teacher, named Ms. O’Riley. She said that Ms. O’Riley was her favorite because “she could put a problem on the board and explain that in such a way that you would never forget it”.  Sometimes, though aside from that one favorite teacher in school, we may have at times taken our teachers for granted. We never got in trouble and we were always respectful but in most instances, we never really saw ourselves in their shoes one day.

Ms. Culmer following in
              Ms. O'Riley's footsteps

Mr. Todd, an Uncle Lou
in the making.

During Mr. Todd’s time, teachers were considered by many to be one of the noblest of professions. But nowadays, for many a career in teaching is looked upon with dismay or as a Plan B. Most persons do not regard teachers highly and not many grow up saying they truly want to be a teacher. Mr. Todd, Mrs. Johnson neither Ms. Culmer had ever dreamt about becoming a teacher. They respected and loved their teachers dearly but never once thought, “I’m going to be just like them”. John thought he would be a priest. Dawn always wanted to be an accountant or a computer programmer, and Asheka, despite the fact that her mother and sisters had all been teachers, had other plans. She wanted to be an architect. My sentiments, however, were different from their own. I had always wanted to be a teacher. From the third grade, my admiration for my teachers' determination, professionalism and poise, made me dream that I would, one day, be a Ms. Adderley, Mrs. Hutcheson, Mrs. Munroe, Mrs. Johnson or Mrs. Sturrup. But not every individual feels that way.

Mrs. Johnson still pursued
               her business career.
  She became a business teacher.

Nevertheless, despite their feelings, they, Dawn, Todd and Asheka, all became teachers. Though it may have been due primarily to its availability, as they never wished to be a teacher like I did, they developed a passion for teaching; especially after they came back to their alma mater. Teaching, evidently, can be an exhausting job that brings with it the challenges of dealing with dozens to thousands of different personalities throughout your career. However, the benefits received especially those that provide you with “a sense of purpose” as Dawn stated, and the keen understanding of the importance of their role in a school like SAC, can transform your previous perceptions of teachers; just as it did to John, Dawn and Asheka when they transitioned from student to teacher.