“Do You Remember Your First Grade Teacher?”

I have been fortunate enough to have had quite an eclectic career over the years.  Teaching education is a second career for me.  Back in the 1990’s I was a pilot and flying instructor in the Royal Air Force Reserve, spending my weekends and vacations teaching new cadets to fly, as well as instructors to be instructors.  Combined with this, I had a career in human resources.  I was working for a global insurance company – Willis Group.  In 2001, I was fortunate enough to transferred to the New York office.  After the events of 9/11, my role morphed into emergency and disaster planning.  Traveling globally reviewing disaster management plans and training office managers may sound glamorous, but it that got old quite quickly.

Fast forward to May 2005 and I was traveling on the subway one morning on my way to work.  I saw an advertisement on the subway that read, “Do you remember your first-grade teacher?  Join the New York City teaching fellows and make a difference.”  Well, it was advertising that worked.  I wanted to give something back.  I wanted to do something different.  I went online and looked around the site.  The more I looked, the more excited I became about this.  After some soul searching (it would be a pay cut after all), I applied.  Little did I know at the time, that 20,000 people applied for that cohort and they were only accepting 2,000 new teachers.  Not thinking I stood a chance, I got a call saying that I had been accepted and I was to go to observe teaching at a summer school program in Queens, in conjunction with beginning my Masters at Queens College.

I resigned from my job.  What had I done?  Ten short weeks later, I found myself standing in front of my first class.  A 12:1:1 self-contained, 2nd grade classroom at PS209Q in Queens, where I had accepted a position as the first full time special education classroom teacher.  I was petrified.  I think that sending someone solo in an airplane for the first time or practicing engine failures was less nerve wracking.  

During my first year of teaching, I felt like I was in a goldfish bowl.  Everyone watching me.  Everyone judging me.  Certainly, administration was evaluating me, knowing this was a total change of career for me.  I got through my first year and looped with my class for my second year.  Looking back, this was a smart move on the part of my principal.  I knew my students, they knew me and we were able to go straight into our school year without the usual ‘who am I’ lessons.

In 2010, my principal suggested that I study for the administration certifications.  Completing the School Building and School Leader Certifications in 2014, I became an assistant principal in 2016.  Twelve years as a teacher, four years as an assistant principal and one as assistant director of special education, has given me unique experience and insight into education, and in particular special education.  We have a population of students who need that degree of extra focus but, who can achieve amazing things.  This past year, I witnessed a miracle.  We had third grade student who has Down syndrome, has had two open heart surgeries in his short life, and will require a heart transplant before too long.  He is virtually non-verbal and requires a 1-1 aide.  His teacher recently sent me a video of him reading a short sentence.  I got goose bumps and cried.

Teaching and educational administration is one of the toughest, yet most rewarding jobs I have done.  The transition from corporate life was not easy.  Working full time, while going to college one evening a week for three years, all while being a husband and father took a lot of managing.  Yet there was something magical about teaching, especially at the elementary level.  Yes, students have that ‘light bulb’ moment, where when you have been trying to teach them a concept or idea, they suddenly get it.  Those smiles are wonderful.  Yes, to see how a child grows academically, socially and emotionally during a school year is powerful.  Teaching is more than that though.  It is the trust that you engender in a child.  It can be that you are the most stable figure in that child’s day to day life.  It is knowing that a student feels safe when they are with you, because perhaps they don’t feel safe at home.  Perhaps the only time they smile is when they are in your classroom.

If you really want to make a difference in someone’s life – consider making that switch.  I did in my mid-thirties and have never looked back since.  It is a tough job.  It is an emotional job.  But it is one of the most rewarding jobs you can ever have.  Consider it.