When I graduated from high school, I had just one college in mind. Unfortunately, or fortunately I can say it now, I failed the entrance exams. I was depressed for a few days after receiving the rejection letter, so my mother told me. Until now, I don’t have any clear recollection on those days. What to do next? My mother suggested that I take English at the school of education in a small college in my hometown. Her reasons were first, I was good at English, and second by mastering English I would be able to choose various career options. Another reason was that I did not have to leave town. Perfect!
So, there I was one of the new 80 English Department students. Not knowing what to become or to do, I kept working hard. I was born a good student. Once in a while during my college years I did some part-time jobs. I was a tour guide. I was a translator. I was an interpreter. Yet, they were not for me.
It changed on my sixth semester. As a part of the teacher training program, I had to take a teaching practice class. I was assigned to a middle school near campus. At the beginning, I was very nervous even though I did prepare well. Minute by minute passed. I was losing my nervousness slowly and getting more confidence. On the following teaching assignment I was still nervous, but much less, and more comfortable also as I knew the students better.
In one of those classes, I knew for sure that I wanted to be a teacher. On my seventh semester, I took a teaching assistantship class and taught first-year students in my department. Ask the students in my class if you happen to meet them about how nervous I was, about how my hands were trembling while holding up the handout, about how sweating I was. Some of them must remember. Despite all of those, I have been a teacher ever since.
As a teacher you can prepare the lesson, anticipate what may come up in class. But, all the time students have questions, comments, or ideas that make you think and rethink. It is not only that you help them learn something, but more importantly they challenge you and make you keep on learning. Teaching is definitely a job I find satisfying.
