Transition to Teaching

My name is Daniel Holman, I am currently working on a single subject credential in social studies and looking forward to working with high school students. I spent a number of years working in personal finance, and loved every day of it. I never got burned out, but had the opportunity to spend a few days a week doing something else and decided to substitute teach. Over the course of that school year, periodic substitute teaching turned into a being at the school daily and enjoying the interaction with the students and the teachers in the school. I have always been introverted, but I love being around people and was intellectually stimulated by the daily interactions with others, teaching and learning from the students. I especially loved being in the classroom with the juniors and seniors and helping them figure out their futures. I happen to be in a district with a high percentage of students coming from single parent households, so they are looking for other sources of guidance they can trust. My primary goal has always been honesty with the students, helping them understand as many of their options as possible so they can make the decision that most benefits them and helps achieve their goals. This taught me the importance of loving the students for who they are, and I have found this to be one of the keys of successful teaching. I have found that when students know that a teacher honestly loves them and wants the best for them, they are more willing to work hard in a class, even if it is a subject they do not particularly like. They will take that and allow that teacher to get their absolute best out of them. 

Prior to substitute teaching, I spent about 6 years teaching ethics and morals classes for high school and junior college students. We spent the majority of our time figuring out how to apply the things we were learning about in real world situations, seeing the value in doing what is right for no other reason than because it is right; it was a very fulfilling experience and has shaped my perception and understanding of teaching a great deal. I should have realized my love for teaching sooner, but was very stubborn and loved what I was doing at the time. They great thing about teaching is that I will still be able to pursue my previous career as a hobby over the summers, doing something I love instead of just passing time until the fall comes back around. 

I was not very surprised with my results from the Meyers-Briggs test were not a surprise. No matter the questions, or the format, I end up with the same INTJ results. I was with some friends that night reading the report/analysis of the personality type, they just laughed and said it was a better description of me than they could have come up with. One of the things that I consider most important with teaching is high expectations, for myself and others. I have found that when students know what the high expectations are, and really feel that you love them, they work their best to meet those expectations. It will also drive me to perfect my craft as a teacher, becoming the best I can. I also think a great deal about the big picture, which will be tremendously helpful in teaching social studies as we look at various events from the history of the world and America and how they connect and relate and how they can influence the decisions we make in the future. Having an analytical approach will be very helpful with the social studies as well, looking to figure out how to apply and use the things we learn.