Why Teach?

"I wanted to be a teacher since I was in eighth grade. I had a teacher who not only was a really strong person but also rewarded students for working hard and loving to read and write, which I really didn't get in other places in my education. Then I had amazing English teachers in high school and decided to pursue what I love and share it with others."...

“I started out as a biology major at the University of Delaware. I also played basketball there. I always really loved the life sciences, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it. I didn’t know if I wanted to go the healthcare route or something else. After I came out of school, I began coaching with my friend, and teaching just seemed perfect.”

"I studied communications at Clarion University and between my senior and junior year, I got an internship at KDKA. But when I got out of school, there were very few jobs in that field, so I had trouble finding something right away. So I started working as a secretary and then became a freelance writer. While I was doing that for a year and a half, KDKA called me back to be a secretary, so I did t...

“I was not always going to become a teacher. I was going to become an engineer until about two weeks before school when I got this letter that basically said, ‘If you become a teacher, you can accept this money and have a full ride.’” I changed my major because that way, I wouldn’t have to pay for any of my schooling. I love my choice and I’m not regretting it at all.”

"My path is kind of convoluted. My bachelor's degree is in Anthropology from Saint Mary's College in Maryland. When I got out of college, I taught at an outdoor school, where we taught environmental sciences and character education for the week. I went back to school, then taught in Erie at an elementary school, and I got laid off from that as well. I was really fortunate to find a job as a librari...

“I started off at Penn State in the College of Engineering, and I knew after a semester and a half that I just didn’t like it. I always helped my fellow students out when I was in high school and in college on their math, so I figured teaching would be a good career path to explore. Long story short, I haven’t looked back ever since. I have been teaching for 26 years.”...

"Well, I taught at Quaker Valley and Seneca Valley before this, and I always knew about the awesome reputation of North Allegheny, so when a job opened up here, I came. I always loved physics in high school -- it was a class that really got me the most excited. I was sort of good at it at the beginning, so I got a lot of confidence from that, and I thought if it could do that for me, it could do t...

"I just really like working with kids. I went to law school for a little while, and I just didn't want to be in a corporate situation. So, it's really because of the kids, I just want to help them and talk to them."

"I switched majors multiple times, switched schools three times, and still wasn't sure what I was going to do. So, I ended up at the University of Pittsburgh because my grandfather desperately wanted me to go there -- he loved that school so much. But the reason I ended up going into teaching was that of a student I had on my debate team back at Upper St. Clair was very insistent that I apply to be...

"I wanted to become a teacher because I wanted to share the beauty of mathematics with others. Some people who inspired me along the way were the teachers I had in high school and college. In particular, there was this Japanese statistics teacher I had who made all his problems about the dangers of blowfish."

"I did not set out to become a teacher originally. I majored in psychology and communication, and then I worked in television and related industry for ten years after that. However, when my husband and I realized we wanted to start a family, we knew that it would not be practical to raise children on that type of schedule. I always considered teaching in the back of my mind. I always loved training: I taug...

"I always wanted to be a teacher. My father used to be a teacher, and I would help him grade papers. I didn't know what subject I wanted to teach, but when I got to college, I figured out that I wanted to be an English teacher. I loved reading and writing so much, and I knew it would be a great career for me. I'm doing what I've always wanted to do."...