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| The last time I got to drive him to school. (He is the youngest of the 3 I nannied) |
For most of my childhood people always told me I was born to be a teacher. At the time I didn’t understand what they meant by that and I didn’t take it as a compliment like I should have. In a way I guess I felt like they were saying that is all I could be. So when it came time for me to pick a path I strayed away from teaching. Instead, I took the criminal justice path. It wasn’t a bad choice but it definitely wasn’t the right choice. I took two semesters of classes before I realized that this course wasn’t for me. While criminal justice was a hobby of mine; it wasn’t the right career path. I struggled with what the next move would be.
Around this time I changed jobs. I made the difficult decision to leave nannying and took a job at a daycare. It broke my heart leaving the sweet kids I had nannied for over five years, but it led me to the realization that being a teacher was exactly what I wanted to be. My first day in the daycare was a sink or swim kind of experience. I was thrown into a class with no guidance; I was alone. I wanted to panic but something in me took over. I didn’t sink, I swam! I went to see my academic advisor that same week to switch my major but for the first time I felt like I was meant to be a teacher.
I can relate to that 'cognitive dissonance' about being a teacher - so many people told me I was perfect for that...and I went a different path. I became a teacher at 40! Ha! There is no wrong path - just follow your heart. Teaching is very hard - and truly awesome. The gifts outweigh the problems.
ReplyDeleteI love this! A lot of people told me the same thing, and I was coaching at the time, so lucky for me I knew it would be a good fit.
ReplyDeleteI, too, came to teaching after doing something else. I was kind of dissuaded from becoming a teacher by others. Like you, once I knew, I grabbed the bull by the horns and changed the trajectory of my life. I’ve never regretted it.
ReplyDeleteSo cool when you have the kind of realization! And how lucky. I think there are people who never feel that, never find the work they are supposed to do. So glad you did!
ReplyDeleteStacie