Teaching has always been a passion of mine but it wasn’t until recently that I desired to make teaching a career. It was always my plan to contribute a number of years working for a private company then, after retirement, share my knowledge and experiences with younger generations by becoming a New York City public school teacher. That plan has changed and my desire to teach has come sooner due to several realizations. My first realization involves my desire for self improvement through teaching and my second realization involves my desire to contribute to the greater good of our society.
I once attended a seminar where the presenter stated that we really truly excel as individuals we’re able to effectively pass our knowledge onto others. It’s one thing to understand a subject; it’s another thing to be able to teach that subject. This is what he referred to as being a true “superstar” and what many people refer to as “becoming an expert”. Ever since that seminar, I had never turned down an opportunity to teach. Over the past twenty years, I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer my time as a math, physics and engineering tutor for high school and college students and have had many opportunities to effectively teach and train clients, coworkers, and subordinates in various subjects and skill sets. In every instance of these teaching opportunities, I’ve always strived to reach that superstar status.
Another reason for wanting to become a New York City teacher, especially one of a high-need school is the opportunity to share valuable knowledge with students that now face greater global competition than ever before. While studying for my Masters Degree in Business Administration, there was a great deal of emphasis that was placed upon technology and its effects on the global economy. Technology has greatly increased global competition and Americans now compete for the same jobs and positions with those from other countries. Advancements in communication and the Internet make it possible for companies to outsource entire departments such as technology and manufacturing to foreign countries, eliminating many jobs for Americans. What makes the challenge even greater is that students from countries such as China and India are known to excel in subjects such as math, science, and technology.
In order to give American students a better chance of staying competitive with students from other countries, we need to make sure that the education they receive is of the highest caliber. Students that can excel in math, science and technology will assure our economic future. Not only do we need good teachers in these subjects, we also need good teachers that can motivate students to want to learn these subjects. What we need are superstars.
As a child of a single parent, I know what it’s like to be at a greater disadvantage than the average child. My ability to empathize with students in high-need schools with situations that were similar to mine will hopefully allow me to make closer connections to those students where I can encourage them to want to learn the tough subjects. In addition, the experience I possess from working with Fortune 500 companies will help me guide students and help them find an area of study for which they can be passionate about. I would try to help them understand what their jobs would be like should they choose to pursue a job in engineering, science, or technology.