Teaching Quotes That I Find Inspirational

I'm hoping to keep a diary of teaching quotes that I find inspirational in this particular blog entry.  I've always been an individual who finds inspiration in quotes.  In fact, I have a journal in my home full of life quotes that I review from time to time.  In this blog I will add teaching quotes that I find relevant as I discover them; my absolute favorites will be outlined in green and I hope one day to add quotes of my own.  When I feel in despair or I feel I have lost my inspirational touch I will come back to these quotes that once drove me and revive my own inspiration.

• "The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind." ~ Khalil Gibran
• "I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit." ~John Steinbeck 
• "The teacher is the one who gets the most out of the lessons, and the true teacher is the learner." ~Elbert Hubbard
• "The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.'" ~Maria Montessori
• "Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions." ~Author Unknown
• "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." ~William Arthur Ward
• "What students lack in school is an intellectual relationship or conversation with the teacher." ~William Glasser
• "Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own." ~ Nikos Kazantzakis
• "Thought flows in terms of stories -- stories about events, stories about people, and stories about intentions and achievements. The best teachers are the best storytellers. We learn in the form of stories." ~ Frank Smith 
• "If you want to build a ship don't herd people together to collect wood, and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." ~Antoine de Saint Exupry
• "A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others." ~ Unknown
  

My New Journey to Become a Teacher

My blog is going to take a different turn as I begin a new challenge to become a teacher.  I grew up in Parkersburg, WV with all the aspirations to become a Veterinarian.  Animals are my life and will always be.  So it seemed like a natural path to take.  I remembered entering the Animal and Veterinary Science (A&VS) program at West Virginia University (WVU) bright eyed and young.  I loved it!  I learned so much and soaked up every minute as a volunteer on the WVU farms. Whether I was palpating pregnant cows or measuring estrus in sheep - it was all so amazing.  Later I would become a paid researcher for the Nutritional Biochemistry professor.  My job - analyzing chicken livers.  Oddly enough, I turned my sights from Veterinarian to Researcher.  I was compelled by the drive to help animals in a different way through research and by doing so help farmers as well. 

I spent two years, after I had graduated with my Bachelors, as a caver at Laurel Caverns in Pennsylvania. I strapped myself in spelunker gear and took individuals and groups on a three hour tour into the undeveloped section of the cave.  I enjoyed the physical aspects of the job and educating people about bats but what I enjoyed more was teaching seminars at the cave.  I taught all ages of kids Geology, Ecology, and Forestry.  I even took them on fossil hunts.  I learned a lot about myself.  I was much more involved in the teaching aspect than most of my coworkers.  I worked hard to develop visual aids and took a very hands on approach.  Today, I have an extensive rock collection and still occasionally teach geology seminars for festivals.

Currently I live outside of Farmington, WV in a small development called Katy Village with my husband and two kids. My husband and I agreed that our childrens' early years were important enough for me to put my professional life on hold.  I took an eight year hiatus and still treasure every moment I was able to spend with them.  Last year, out of a need to redevelop my 'self', I decided to try substitute teaching in Marion County.  With a four year degree in A&VS I was eligible to apply as a RESA IV short term substitute.  I still remembered the excitement and thrill of teaching different sciences to younger and older kids.  So, I went for it.  Within a month I was holding my license to be a Substitute Teacher and by the next month I was employed by the Marion County Board of Education.  I had never been in a classroom before, so my nerves were on edge the first several times I stepped into one.  It became easier and easier as I saw how the kids reacted to my teaching style.  I'm still hands on with my very large bag full of rocks and a Euler's Disk for down time (I don't like worksheets).  While I'm teaching a subject, my classroom as I like to state it, is 'organized chaos'.  If I can get the whole class engaged in debating a topic, I feel like I've won the heart of the class.  It is truly amazing to see kids excited about every topic from Social Studies, which personally I don't like, to History, Reading, and Science. 

I feel lucky to have had the chance to step into a classroom.  It helped me make my decision to take on the challenge of college courses once again and become fully certified to teach.  My course specialization - General Science and Biology on a secondary level.  I may not be able to make an impact on the minds of every student but if I can open the door of science for just a few, then I will have accomplished my goal.  I also believe my enthusiasm in the sciences as a woman will encourage more girls at the secondary education level to embrace science as well.  I have not lost the dream to be a researcher.  I hope one day to be not only a Science teacher but to work in the field as a researcher.