The Accidental Teacher

You could say that I am an accidental teacher. I never intended to become an educator and there are days that I am as surprised as my former teachers probably are that I did. When I first began college, as an older adult, I pursued a criminal justice degree with the intention of later pursing a law degree. But life has a way of interfering with our best laid plans and I had to return to the reality of employment. The only job I could find was working with children as a residential case manager. I realized that I really had a knack for working with children. A few years later I found myself looking for another job at a day treatment school for children who have emotional disabilities. I was seeking a position as a behavioral interventionist but ended up being offered a teaching position instead. I was desperate enough for a paycheck to throw caution in the wind and accept a job I knew nothing about. Fortunately for me, and my students, I also had a talent for teaching. In fact, I would say that I have a passion for teaching.

I have found my life calling in working with those children that many others shy away from. The tougher the kid, the more I want to work with them. I currently work in Sanford, Maine at the high school. I work with teenagers who have emotional disabilities in a classroom called the Learning Center. The curriculum in that class focuses on affective education--including thinking errors, anger management, character development, decision-making skills, social skills, etc. It is my intention to finish up my master's degree in Special Education and eventually open my own special education charter school.