To get a clear understanding of who I am as an educator, one has to realize that I come from a family of teachers. Both of my parents are retired Gwinnett County Public Schools teachers who always taught me not only the value of a formal education but also the importance of Spring Break and Summer Vacation! Needless to say, I was destined to be a teacher but the route I took to get there was full of twists and turns.
I graduated from Duluth High School in the Spring of 1989 and matriculated to the only University to which I applied—the University of Georgia. For as long as I could remember, I had wanted to be a physician. I loved science and loved being around others so a career in the medical field seemed like a natural fit. I stuck with that goal for the first two years of college before I began to have doubts about my vocational choice! Did I really want to stay in school for 10 more years? Absolutely not! Will I thrive in such a competitive and cut-throat environment? I didn’t think so. The next couple of years was full exciting changes for me. During my junior year, I declared the following majors (some officially to the university and other unofficially to my friends and family): athletic training, pharmacy, chemistry, physical therapy, advertising, sports management, sports marketing, and zoology. I literally spanned the majors A to Z! My indecision plagued me for the next two years until finally I met with my advisor and asked “What can I major in and get out of here the least amount of time?”. The answer we came up with was Biology!
I spent the next year taking lots of Biology classes while also working as a student recruiter for the Office of Admissions. As part of my job, I visited high schools and tried to convince the very best students that they needed to be come to Athens and be Bulldogs! It was during this time that I discovered that I had a knack for talking to high school students. The rest is history! I had found the perfect career. One that combined my love for science with my new found talent for relating to teenagers. I returned to UGA for a sixth year to complete the prescribed courses that led to certification as a 7-12 Science Educator!
I was lucky to find a job at a great school, North Gwinnett High, all the while working with amazing teachers and students. After four years in the classroom, I decided that it was time to go back to school. Actually, it was my wallet that decided that it was time to go back to school. After all, in education, the only way to make more money is to earn more degrees. I enrolled in the Science Education program at North Georgia College and began working on my Masters degree in the Fall of 1999. Initially, I went to class solely focused on the increase in pay I would receive, but as the program continued I found myself stimulated in ways that I never had been before. I found myself enjoying school more than I ever had before and I think that it showed in the quality of my work. The time absolutely flew. In the Summer of 2001 I earned my degree (and my raise!).
After taking a few years off from my personal education, I decided it was time to go back to school. And, no, this time it was not all about the money. While I still looked forward to going to work each day, I had reached a point in my career where I realized that I might not always enjoy teaching chemistry day in and day out. I actively searched out programs that could lead to different jobs within the school. At school, I was known for my use of technology in the classroom so UGA’s Technology Integration Program (TIP) seemed like a natural fit. My goal was to become North Gwinnett’s next Local School Technology Coordinator (LSTC). While I enjoyed my TIP classes, I began to become disillusioned with the job I hoped to one do. Because of her job demands, the current LSTC spent hours upon hours alone, not seeing one student or teacher—definitely not the job for a people person like me. I seriously thought about dropping out of TIP and looking for other degree options but because I was so far into the program, I stuck with it and earned my EdS in the Fall of 2005.
When I graduated with my EdS, I vowed that I was finished with school forever! Little did I know that I was finished only for a little while. In the Spring of 2006, my principal approached me about the possibility of getting certified in School Library Media. He indicated that there would be a position open in the media center if I wanted it. Luckily, I met the requirements for a provisional certification with the promise to earn a clear, renewable certificate within 3 years. Working towards that goal, I have been taking SLM classes for the past year.
What does the future hold for me? I honestly don’t know. Right now, I want to earn my certification and be done with school for a couple of years. I want to enjoy all the perks of being a teacher that I’ve missed for the past few years: a summer vacation without obligations, Saturdays free from school work, relaxing evenings without any looming project to worry about! As the years progress, I will probably get the itch to go back to school but right now, I am looking forward to being finished for awhile!