I have a brief history of being offered jobs I’m not technically qualified to do. I come by it honestly: my mother has had at least 10 different careers in her lifetime, each switch to something new usually involving an enthusiastic, “Well I’ve never done that before, but I can learn!” And learn she does. Until she’s really good at it. Then time for something else! On paper, the school where I currently work should have fired me before they hired me. I had no formal training in education, I didn’t major in the subject I would be teaching, and I was only 22. But! Lots of buts: at 16 I took over teaching a weekly youth group and kids my own age for some reason agreed I should be in charge; I tutored and taught my way through college, for $ in the campus Writing Center and for fun with an adorable Japanese couple in ESL classes; not to mention my first student, the not-so-little-anymore little brother, who was constantly subjected to my early pedagogy. Another hint teaching might be in the cards? My first, and hopefully only, office job was excruciating because it ran like, well, an office: I sat all day long; I was given great freedom to finish my projects, but I didn’t have to talk to anyone else to get them done (!); and everyone thought I was being goofy when I wanted to share something interesting I had learned. After laying all that out for my mom on the phone one afternoon, she said, gently, “Maggie, I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but maybe you should consider teaching?” Wham, bam, an application with a placement agency and two interviews later, I had a job teaching Spanish to middle and high school students in a small private school. I just started year 4 and I’m still trying to figure out how it happened. And how to make it better each year. I’m excited to keep growing in this role, and I wanted a place to keep my thoughts. Also I might be a little bit of a ham. So, blog! #bandwagon #whynot Thanks, Maggie
1 Comment
Susan Dunlap
9/10/2017 08:35:59 am
Teaching is in your blood- mother, father, grandmother, uncle, cousins... you cannot deny your DNA! And you were an amazing student when I had the pleasure to teach you. Best of luck blogging!
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AuthorSC native, Salvadoran at heart, Spanish teacher, trivia nerd, and novice blogger. Archives
January 2018
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