I teach ENC1101. Oftentimes this is the first course that a college student takes. When a new term begins, we are all anxious—nervous of each other and the material before us. I remember those first days, myself, as a student. I was not bound for college. I was a high school drop out with no idea I would eventually find my way into higher education. I remember the nerves and the tension of having to absorb more material than I thought possible. Of classes I thought I would never pass. And I remember the teachers who took me through it. Gently, patiently, easing my brain open to new ideas, opening me up to new worlds, new theories, new vistas, and new views not just of our world, but of myself. I remember the group work with other students grappling over tough questions and issues, the struggles over writing papers, and the epiphanies along the way. When I introduce myself to my class at the beginning of a term, I know that by the end we will share a special bond. The bond of having learned from each other, of shared struggles, of shared laughter, of frustrations and triumphs, of disappointments and surprises. To me the classroom is a microcosm of life. What better way is there to spend a day, but watching ourselves grow? It is said that in order to truly learn how to do something, one must teach it, and so by teaching I am learning how to do life thanks to my student teachers.
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I have a passion for teaching at an open-access college because my own teachers at one changed my life in beautiful ways. Let me explain. I lost interest in learning by the time I entered fourth grade, and I barely graduated from high school. I was floundering and worked a number of dead-end jobs before wandering into a community college. I was just lost enough to apply myself, and teachers noticed. They talked to me! They treated me as if I were important somehow, like I wasn’t stupid and had something to offer the world! Because of their involvement, I gave my all and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. Of course that was no magic bullet, and it took me years to straighten out the mess I had made of my life, but those amazing, generous teachers gave me a sense of importance upon which to build an identity. Without their interest, help, and guidance, I don’t think I would be alive today, and I certainly would not be a professor! Because of that experience, I’ve devoted my life to “paying it forward,” or trying to do for others what was done for me. Indian River State College has been and is the perfect place for me to give back.
My mother was a teacher, and my father, a Swedish immigrant, owned a plumbing business in Ft. Pierce. Both parents instilled in me the love of reading. In eighth grade, I chose teaching as my career project. My only dilemma as I moved through high school was whether to teach English or History, the two subjects I love best--I chose English because I learned that history is incorporated into the study of literature, and I enjoy writing. I began my teaching career at Ft. Pierce Central High School where I was a faculty co-sponsor of the bi-racial committee (that proved to be an interesting position because this was the first year St. Lucie schools were integrated) as well as journalism teacher and sponsor of the school newspaper. I also taught a wide range of English classes from what were then called "remedial" and "advanced." From that first year of teaching, I learned to embrace diversity. After seven years, I went back to school. There were no online classes then, so I had to commute to FAU--I bought my first cell phone in order to call 911 in case I got in trouble commuting back and forth on I-95; that phone always stayed in my car! When I discovered that the chairperson of my graduate committee was returning to the Broward school system to "make more money," I changed tactics and moved into the Educational Leadership Field where I stayed for 32 years. However, I always considered myself a teacher first and foremost--my job as a principal was to make sure that the teachers in my charge had the most up to date opportunities for staff development possible so that they could effectively teach their students. Meanwhile, I taught part-time on and off for both FAU and IRCC. Therefore, it was a natural for me to sign on as an adjunct instructor upon retiring from the public schools. I love teaching at the college level, and I love being a small part of the Indian River State College faculty because I always learn from my students and colleagues. My students teach me. Their varied experiences and diverse points of view keep me focused and excited about education. I have taught students from Haiti, South America, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Italy, Russia, China...and all over the United States of America. I have learned from tbeir stories--from those who are returning to school because they want to complete their education or go into a second career to the dual enrollment sophomores who are savvy about getting a fast start on their education--all of them have made me work (with pleasure) to serve their interests in the best way I can. I can't end this blog without a plug for the English Department and the importance of ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 in anyone's college education. Communication skills and background knowledge about great literature are important for any profession because they involve critical thinking--all of us need to exercise those brain muscles, don't we?
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