How Did I Become A Teacher?

I Hate School

So how can someone who hates school become a teacher? I’m so glad you asked that rhetorical question. I did well in school, or at least as well as I wanted to. The structure and limited intellectual development allowed in class was easy enough to navigate. Memorize this. Copy that. Multiple-guess tests. The basis of public education, at least through my own limited experience, is meant to allow the “average” student to achieve. Only, we have no idea what average is. It’s just some quantitative value assessed through biased standardized testing.

College is a bit different. You can explore more deeply into topics and collaborate with other curious minds. You can engage in meaningful discourse during class time, and explore tangents of “relevant” material outside of the classroom with your classmates or other students on campus. That being said, many higher institutions have simply become a revolving door of dollar signs. “How much can we charge for the same educational experience?” I’m not saying that post-secondary education is a waste, it’s just not always valuable or as cost effective as it once was.

Higher tuition is also partially a result from federal backing of student loans dating back to 1965. However, in the early 90’s a series of bills, acts, and other government legal jargon allowed more direct access for students to those federal dollars. This allowed a new generation of students to attend higher learning institutions that would not otherwise be able to attend. In fact, I am one of those students. My family made so little income that I was eligible for EVERY federal program. Not that it mattered much. I went to a “private” school directly out of high school, so I never got to take advantage of the “free” dollars, just the long-term student loan debt. It took me nearly 25 years to pay off my initial $14,000 loan. Granted, I had several deferments due to attending college on a basketball scholarship and my continued education, but that’s still a long time to have a loan out.

Where is This Going?

That’s another great one rhetorical question asking reader. After graduating, working several irrelevant jobs and a few relevant ones, I found myself as a substitute teacher for a short period. I got to experience the “cool” part of being a teacher where we can just have discussions and enjoy our time together instead of worrying about lesson plans, policies, discipline, etc. And then I moved to Las Vegas. In need of a job during the recession of 2008, I landed a job doing security at a casino. Back to working graveyard shifts and no longer on a path. I was searching for some direction, and thankfully I found a great community of basketball players in the area. I started a brief and unglamorous semi-pro basketball career. All the while it allowed me to refocus and re-center myself. So, I put in an application as a substitute teacher for the Clark County School District.

My application process and path to licensure was about as painful as you could ever imagine. It was terrible. But eventually I gained a license and was put to work. The shortage for teachers and substitute teachers is so great in our area that you could work every day if you wanted to. However, it did provide me with some flexibility to continue playing basketball and doing freelance art on the side. I landed quite a few sub jobs that gave me an opportunity to grow and learn. There were also several job assignments that allowed me to see the darker side of education and helped me to find the direction I’d like to take my career. The direction I chose was an alternate route to licensure in the form of a B&I license.

I’m a Teacher. Now What?

If only it was that simple. Once you’ve been issued a license, you still have provisions in the form of professional development. I went to school for art, not to become a teacher. So these classes are supposed to help you “learn to be a teacher”. It didn’t really work out that way. The classes they assigned not only cost more money than I was earning, but they weren’t exactly relevant to working in a classroom or with students from VERY diverse backgrounds. What they did do for me, was allow me to connect with other new teachers and some experienced teachers and helped me to find my own way. Unfortunately, that darn recession kicked in again.

I was working as a long-term sub at a school even though I had earned a full license. Because they “weren’t hiring” I could not be offered a full-time teaching position and contract. And due to that recession, my position was cut from the staffing of the school at the end of the year. “Thanks for all your hard work” and a middle finger. So I went back to subbing around the district for the summer. Thankfully it kept me busy and through my hard work, I was offered another long-term sub position at another school. And then I got a phone call.

The call went something like this: “I hope you’re doing well. I don’t know if you’re interested, but” “I’ll take it!” I said cutting them off. “LOL. We haven’t told you anything. It’s a position…” “I’ll take it!” I said cutting them off again. Of course this was a call from the same school I had just worked at all year long as a long-term sub, so we were familiar with each other. The position they were offering was not a traditional teaching position. It was more of an office position that required a teaching license. I sucked at it. But it gave me some new perspective on education and allowed me to sneak back into a classroom teaching position.

And that’s where I’ve been for the past 10 years or so. I’ve taught several different subjects including an Independent Living course online during our distance education times of 2020-2021. The course was about cars, which I’ve never worked in as a professional, but obviously it’s a passion of mine and I was happy to help students to become more informed consumers and new drivers. I’ve also been endorsed to teach Computer Science to a generation of “digital natives” that have no idea how technology works. It’s just magic to them or something and many of them have no desire to understand how it works. It’s all a process.

And Then?

I think I’ve settled into this teaching thing pretty well, and I guess I’ll make a career out of it. For now. I will never stop learning and I really enjoy being able to connect with learners and guide them on their own path through life. Currently I’m making some insightful progress to my own understanding of how people, specifically young people, learn and interact as a diverse community. Ken Shelton has been an amazing guide during this process and I’m working with students in a new way to hopefully reach them on a deeper level. I’m really focused on their growth as people while still slipping in my class topics. I think that’s how I’m supposed to do it.

We’re still early in our school year, but students are readjusting to working in person within a structured and social atmosphere. As we learn and grow together, I hope that I can help them along their path and perhaps get them to express their genuine voice. The goal in my career as Graphic Designer has always been to communicate. I’m not the best communicator, but I’m trying more each day. That’s my same goal as a teacher working with students. They have an insight and perspective that can be difficult for “old people” to understand. So I’m helping them to have a voice to share their thoughts with the world. At least that’s what I tell myself.