As I look back on my life, I see that I have always enjoyed helping people. When I was growing up on the family farm I would often go over to the neighbors when I was done with jobs at our farm looking for things to do to help them. In school I always found myself helping my friends with their math. In fact, during my senior year in high school when we lost our math teacher (calculus class) and we got a permanent substitute, whose major was English, my dad, who taught math at PC, would teach me the math the night before and then in class I’d teach the students. At MCC I was a tutor. I found that I really enjoyed doing that. In fact, I had an experience there where a student tackled me one morning while going to class because she had just gotten her first A on a math test ever. That was the exact moment I decided, I need to teach 🙂
There is no better feeling than to see someone “get it” and you know that you were instrumental in their increase in understanding. That is why I do what I do.
Michael-
You were truly born to teach. Loved your story about your dad teaching you the lesson the night before. It made me smile!
Before I came to GCC, I was an elementary school teacher. From my teaching experience, I’ve always said the best teachers come from families of educators. Teaching talent is genetic. Your story is a great example of my theory, which is based totally on my opinion with no research data…
🙂
Just in case your are curious Ann, one of my three children is studying to became either, a Community College or University, physics instructor. From what I’ve witnessed and what I’ve heard from others, I’d say he will be a great teacher one day soon.