Seventeen years ago, I made one of the most important decisions in my life and I'm happy to say... I have no regrets... not one. The same year that Nolan Ryan, Eric Dickerson, and Michael Jordan all decided to retire from their careers was the same year that I decided on mine.
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be an computer engineer just like my father. Sure, I wanted to play second base for the A's, but I was realistic. I knew that my education was important so that I could go off to college and follow in my father's footsteps. Then in my last year of community college (Okay... so I was kind of a slacker after high school), I took a early childhood education course for some units and that changed everything. 1993 was the Year of the Rooster, but it was also the year that I decided to go against my parents' wishes and become a teacher.
I won't get into the little details about my job, but I'll just say that there's no job I'd rather do. I wake up 95% (well, sometimes I wish I could just sleep in) of the time looking forward to working with my students and colleagues. Plus... there are all of the perks: good benefits, Summers off, the sense of pride you feel in shaping a tiny part of our country's future, and of course the simple words of appreciation from current and former students.
Although my Mom accepted my career choice immediately, it took my Father almost 5 years to understand the decision I made. However, it was worth the wait. One of my fondest memories was the day my father (who is old school Japanese) apologized to me, then said that he was proud of me, was wrong (I can count on one hand the amount of times I've heard him say he was wrong), and that I made the right decision.
Anyways... if any of my students are reading this... I just want to remind you... choose a career that will:
a. make you smile when you wake up in the morning
b. make you be able to live in your comfort level
c. most of all, make you feel proud of yourself
Enjoy your weekend!
P.S. Thanks M.T. for the Sharks team set. The cards will be hanging up on our classroom wall. Have fun at tomorrow's game!
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