For a long time I’ve wanted to teach. I thought that meant being a ‘professor’ and having a PhD.
When I’d tell my friends that I wanted to be a college professor, they’d nod their heads and say, “Yeah, I can see that.”
That made me feel good. But, as much a I wanted to be a college professor, I could never settle down and focus my attention long enough on one subject earn an advanced degree.
Looking back and exploring my past, I began making a list of all the times in my life when I was teaching.
- As the oldest of three children I used to design lessons and teach my younger siblings what I had learned in school. They were simple lessons like writing numbers and letters. I remember having fun making up worksheets for them, but I don’t really remember them having fun doing the homework their big sister gave them.
- As a teenager I taught C.C.D. / Sunday school.
- As a college student, I had the opportunity to design nutrition lessons for both preschoolers and elementary students. I worked in a Headstart preschool program for one semester and presented my lessons. Teaching three-year-olds is a lot of fun, especially when they get to eat the homework.
- After graduating and landing a job in a hospital Dietetics department, I again had the opportunity to teach. By law, all of the hospital kitchen staff had to attend a monthly in-service related to food safety and nutrition. Since most of the Dietitians and Diet Techs saw this as chore, I had the opportunity to design and present numerous lessons over the five years I worked in this field.
- More recently, I have had the opportunity to speak and present at several national trade shows and conventions sharing and teaching what I have learned in the field of transportation, distribution and logistics.
- Adding to this, I have taught numerous technology related topics to small groups of employees, as well as, having taught one-on-one.
Then I listed why I believed I wanted to be a college professor.
- Opportunity for lifelong learning.
- Opportunity to do research and write.
- Opportunity to teach adults and share my knowledge and what I’ve learned.
Taking the time to make these two lists I realized that I didn’t need a PhD to teach and that I have been teaching my whole life.
I realized that I…
- I engage in lifelong learning every day.
- I don’t need a PhD to do research and write about topics I’m interested in.
- I have been teaching all my life.
I also realized that…
- I absolutely love researching and designing lessons plans.
- I love sharing my knowledge and what I have learned.
- I enjoy teaching children, but love working with, and teaching adults.
- I love working with eager students who want to learn.
Will I ever get that PhD? Who knows. I love to learn as much as I love to teach, so maybe one day.
But, regardless, I am looking forward to a lifetime of teaching, even if I never do earn a PhD.
How about you? Is there something you have always done, taken for granted and never realized it? Are there any connections between the adult you of today and the adolescent or teenager of yesterday? What do you love to do? Are you waiting for permission to start?
You helped your daughter see herself in a new light and I helped you. That’s a good feeling.
Years ago, my youngest daughter, Julie, was helping all her friends write and edit their papers in college. Later, she was helping them with resumes. I suggested she might get paid to do this since her work was so much in demand. So she started a successful little biz doing just that. Then it dawned on me that I’d been doing the same thing my whole life. Never even occurred to me that it might be valuable till then.
I also used to “play school” when I was a child, teaching my friends and then younger sister how to make things. I recently saw some artwork by an old school friend and when I commented on his amazing use of light, he said, “you taught me in your parent’s basement.” Some of us are born teachers and it has very little to do with higher education. How many full professors put us to sleep in college auditoriums with their knowledge but lack of inspiration? I believe those of us who are natural teachers need only passion for the topic. And practice.
Yes! It’s amazing, too, that sometimes what we most want to do or have are right under our noses.
I missed this article. But, just found it. Thanks.
“Teaching From Experience: How to Get Started”
I made the same connection to lifelong teaching that started as the oldest child and passing things along to my younger siblings. I also have an article (if you haven’t seen it) on http://joyfullyjobless.com called “Teaching From Experience: How to Get Started.” Aren’t you glad that academia isn’t the only place to practice this fine art?