Being a Teacher. A survey from John.

Hey Doug!

First of all, I hope that all went well with the doctor and you are feeling much better.
So these are the questions I have. As I have told you before, I have been assigned this project in the seminar I am taking. It is a self-assessment project, where I need to find information about the career I want to pursue. The questions I am asking you cannot be responded to by any other source but you. Only someone who is in the field can really tell me about it. Don't worry it will be painless!! I was originally going to turn it in by Feb 6, but my prof will let me hand it in by Feb 12, so don't worry, take your time with it.

1-What is your degree in, and educational background?
I attended k-7 at Brent International School (Baguio City, Philippines)
High School – Duncanville High School (Duncanville, TX)
College – Ouachita Baptist University (Arkadelphia, AR) BA in English
College – Salzburg College (Salzburg, Austria) – one semester
Graduate School – Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ) MA in TESOL

2-What changes of career direction did you make while you were in college, or thereafter?
At first, my intention was to go into psychology and go into counseling. Then I realized that I loved English grammar, literature, poetry, and linguistics. After college I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I knew I loved linguistics. My professor and friend, Dr. Tom Greer, suggested I do an MA in ESL at NAU. I followed his advice.

3-In terms of people, are there any role models who have contributed to your success, or actually influenced you in becoming a teacher?
My grandmother was an English teacher in Mena High School in Mena, AR. She was the first person to sit down with me and work through a poem. That moment is one of my greatest memories.

My college professors were also a tremendous influence. I cannot narrow it down lower than four, so here are my top four and my reasons why:
Dr. Johnny Wink, English Professor – This man memorized and wrote a poem every day. He could recite almost anything. He had a love for poetry which was only matched by his kindness for other people.

Dr. Susan Wink, English Professor – Dr. Wink (or Dr. Wink’s husband’s wife, as Dr. Johnny Wink used to call her) was the perfect teacher. Her classes were so difficult that you could not get through them without studying intensely. She made literature meaningful in a historical and critical context. She was also my grammar teacher and her grammar classes were extremely intense. Why do I say she was the perfect teacher? She was orderly, concise, and was a genius at weaving lessons together. It seemed like on the last day of classes with her, you always had an “a-ha” moment.

Dr. Doug Sonhiem, English Professor – His first year teaching was my freshman year. He taught me that it was okay to reinvent yourself as a teacher and to try different styles. Every class I took with him was different.

Dr. Greer, Professor of English (and at one time religion) – He was like another father to me. He trusted me and nurtured me on many levels. I spent many summer days at his house, building a deck for him. He was a great man. Unfortunately, he died unexpectedly.


4-Besides that, why becoming a teacher? What do you find so especial/peculiar about it? What prevented you for doing something else? (If you had another option besides being a teacher)
I knew I was going to be a teacher because I had a high school teacher that was trying to explain something to the class and I could see why he was not being successful. I thought, “Man, I can explain this better than he can.” And then I felt a chill go up my spine and I thought, “Damn it. I’m going to be a teacher.” I spent the next four or five years trying to shirk that moment. It didn’t work.

I guess I just have an ability to empathize with people really well. I can usually pin point where a problematic area lies. I had so many bad teachers. Mean. Rude. Impatient. Unintelligent. Politic. I just want to be in a classroom so I can help people out. I have told myself from the beginning of my career that I will be very strict, but flexible. And I’ll never try to make anyone feel stupid in my class. My job is to teach, and if my students try but don’t get it, then I need to find another way to explain.

Teaching allows enough time for me to work on my other passion: music.


5-Can you mention something in your job that is stimulating and keeps you going? Besides caffeine, psychological and financial rewards apply!!!
1. Good days keep me going.
2. Vacation is the best.
3. Students saying, “Oh!”
4. Being in control of my job.
5. Being with other people all day long.
6. Helping


6-How did you obtain the job you currently hold? What are the entry requirements (in terms of education; bachelor's degree, masters, other advanced degrees, personal qualities, skills?) Was it through your career network, or a result of your own job hunting? For you, what would be the best way to market yourself when seeking for a job?
I got my job through a friend of mine, You might know him: Jon Pauley. I met him at a party and he recommended me to Mimi. I probably wouldn’t have this job if it weren’t for him. You need a master’s degree. It’s just a good idea to have one. Connections are the best way to get jobs. Meet people. Be friendly, but not obsequious. Be confident, but not smug. When I was first looking for a job in NYC, I just made phone calls all over the place. I made a list and just went through it.

7-Did you do any sort of research about your career before you selected it? (Personality tests, meaning if you were suitable for this, interviews, and general information about the career) Was this actually helpful? Beucase this is what I’m just doing!!)
My research was minimal. I knew I wanted to teach and I still plan at some point to get another degree or go another direction. Teaching ESL is fantastic but it’s not the end of the road for me.

8-Are there any types of pressures in your job? What are they? Also, what are the challenges (in general) ?
The pressures are numerous and varied. However, there is no job without pressure.
1. No matter the class, there is always going to be one student who makes it challenging.
2. You have to be organized everyday, but you cannot spend too much time organizing. People who spend hours on their lessons exhaust themselves.
3. It is sometimes difficult to measure student success.
4. Student evaluations can be very frustrating. They rarely reflect how much you work.
5. Students sometimes forget how hard it is for you to plan lessons.
6. You won’t make tons of money.
7. When I tell people that I teach, they sometimes become very patronizing. (Oh, how wonderful! What a noble job! It must be very rewarding!) You have to do it because you want to. Besides rock star or ice cream taster, I can’t think of a better job.
8. It is rare to have an administration that fully supports you. I have worked for six schools and only three of them have had a supportive administration.
9. Grading is tough.
10. Teaching all of your material can be difficult.

9-Based on your experience, what advice about education and work experience would you share with me? What skills do you think I should cultivate in order to succeed?
1. Confidence in yourself. You have to know that you are a good teacher. You have to know that you are explaining the materials.
2. A reason for everything you do in the classroom. You have to know why you do each activity. You have to have a reason.
3. Patience with people who “don’t get it.”
4. Structured lessons
5. An ability to figure out where a student’s understanding is falling apart.
6. Back to confidence. There will be other teachers who are negative. There will be students who tell you that you’re a bad teacher. You have to do it for yourself. You have to be able to tell yourself that you know who you are even on a bad day. If you do your best each day, then nobody’s negativity can break you. Focus on your success.
7. Flexibiliy. Remember that we all learn differently. That means you have to try several ways of teaching.
8. Forgiveness: forgive yourself for your bad days and try to be positive the next day. This happens with everyone.
9. Remember that you are not responsible for a student’s unwillingness to work, but you should always try to encourage them.
10. Don’t get involved in faculty-faculty or faculty-student gossip. When you let negative words leave your mouth, negative feelings lay eggs inside you.


10-How do you deal with overwhelming situations? What is your best strategy to overcome those obstacles? Possitive thinking, law of attraction?
It depends on the obstacle. The most successful way that I have found to deal with an obstacle is to do the following:
1. Identify why it’s an obstacle.
2. Identify what it means to overcome and obstacle (i.e., How will I measure my success?).
3. Identify the impetus for overcoming the obstacle and deciding if it reflects my core beliefs.
4. Make a plan of action.
5. Actually take my own advice and following steps 1-4.

11-Do you think this is what you were meant to be? What tells you that?
I’m meant to be a teacher. I need to be a teacher to those with a thirst for learning. I do not have a desire to be a lecturer, but I would love to get a degree in old, middle, early modern English. Am I meant to be an ESL teacher? For now I am.

12-How would like your students to remember you after a term has ended?
I would like to be remembered as a teacher who …
1. Cared about the students’ success.
2. Brought a sense of genuine confidence to those who think little of themselves.
3. Was organized and explained things well.
4. Was passionate about the topics of discussion.
5. Wanted the students to succeed.
6. Treated everyone equally without regard to race, religion, or popularity.
7. Ran a tight ship, where you could not be in the class without developing
8. Made class fun.
9. Didn’t take himself seriously, but took his job very seriously.
10. Did everthing he could to encourage and stimulate the students.

So this is it!! You can email me the answers or print them, whatever is easier for you. This will be read just for my professor and I, so it'll be confidencial.
I thank you before hand, this infomation will be really valuable for me to zero in on what I want to persue as a career, because Im sort of undecided regarding chosing my career, and also, this will be helpful to understand myself better. Thank you very much!!!

See ya!!

Jonathan.