I am 62-years old. My wife and I just recently celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. She is a cancer survivor and I am the survivor of various illnesses including but not limited to congestive heart failure.
We have four sons, seven grandchildren and we both love helping others. As for my professional background, I am a photojournalist, a journalist, a mechanic, a guitarist and a singer, besides being an aspiring preacher. I had a life changing experience at 45- years of age and it is because of this damaging heart attack that I moved from doing mechanic work to my true love of writing. These days the true call of the journalist is buried in some forgotten corner and I enjoy teaching more than being a journalist.
As a K-12 student I somewhat enjoyed school. I loved reading. Instead of daydreaming in class I was often caught writing short stories while the teacher went about his or her lecture to the class. Some of the classes I most enjoyed were those where writing was a part of the course.
Several people touched my life way back when. One was Edward Gianelloni. I found he offered excellent advice, was a great teacher and he taught me that I had great things to offer. More than anything, he paid attention to me and what I had to say. That goes a long way when a kid is in sixth grade in Pierre Part, La.
Two other teachers whom I remember well are Ms. Bordis and Mr. Abby Vicknair. Both of these individuals were French teachers at the high school level. These two teachers went beyond the normal call of duty. They allowed everyone to share an opinion. I encountered so many great people that there isn’t just one that stands out.
I am enrolled in the MATLT Master's degree program at Ashford University. In the near future, after earning my Master’s , I sincerely hope to be teaching online courses. It is sincerely because of some of my disabilities that I want to teach online courses and be able to work from home.
However, I also find that some areas of the real world are extremely discriminatory against age and it makes it difficult to find a job. I am not the only one that feels that way, several of my friends also feel the same way. Having my Master’s degree will move me towards my goal of teaching online. I also feel that without the Master’s degree I would not be able to do this.
The one quote that I truly feel close to is one by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The secret in education lies in respecting the student.``Without the teacher showing some respect for the student one can not expect the student to have respect for the teacher.
No comments:
Post a Comment