Dr. Mary Mosley: Why Do I Love Teaching?

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?