Reach Out

It was difficult to think of three teachers for me to reach out to as resources for my goal to become a teacher. It's not that I didn't have any inspirational teachers, or anything. More than anything, it has to do with time. I graduated from high school twelve years ago and have since had many experiences that revealed to me just how insignificant my high school experience was to me. That is part of what inspired me to pursue this career, however. I want to contribute to the next generations to inspire them to be a part of the world. It is so much more than high school and the experiences that exist within it. They should be prepared, find passion in the world. So, I tried to reach out to teachers from my past that embodied that mindset. I came up with two that I could find and contact. 

One of my teachers, Mr. Frank Brown, had been my high school literature teacher for my junior and senior year. I recall having excellent discussions in his classes. They were thoughtful, thorough, and deeply intellectual. From his class, I learned how to dissect my reading and examine as many possible angles as possible for various meanings. Identifying subtlety in reading and in spoken word is a skill that has stayed with me for over a decade as a result of these classes. When I reached out to him, I thanked him for my experiences and went on to tell him that it had been inspirational. I was now pursuing my own future as a teaching professional. I also asked for any resources that he might recommend to me to help me in this endeavor. 

Dr. Overstreet had been one of my professors and had taught my Writing and Teaching Writing class during my Spring of 2021 semester. Again, I found myself in a wonderful class that involved deep discussion and with meaningful lessons that I still hold in mind. What was more significant to me, however, was learning that I had a passion for writing and building stories. I am not a terrible writer, either... I think. When I reached out to thank her and ask for more advice, she was quick to respond. Her recommendations were to look at Stenhouse or Heinemann. Anything from them regarding reading and/or writing would be invaluable. Eager to expand my pool of resources, I looked up each of these to see what they had published that I could consume for my interest. I thought they were authors, which was my mistake. THEY WERE PUBLISHING COMPANIES. Needless to say, my pool of resources had certainly expanded, since that pool had become more of an ocean. In an effort to 'find land', I picked a direction and purchased a couple of books. I have high hopes and believe that I will not be disappointed.