I would never be a teacher. I always knew this. I come from a long line of teachers, you see. I know how difficult it is. The relatively low pay; the high stress level- these were things I was aware of because my mom is a teacher. Additionally, I like the idea of a job I can go to every day and leave it at work when I go home. None of these things apply to the teaching profession.

My mom suggested a few times during my time as an undergraduate that I study education. She had that sense familiar to moms of what your children would be likely to do well as a career. I resisted, and she didn’t push the issue. She let me decide for myself. I found that I was interested in many different areas, but decided to focus on Sociology and History. (I also took several English classes, finishing just short of a minor). I did fairly well and enjoyed myself. I had a few Sociology papers published in an on-campus journal, which is one of the things I am most proud of.

During this time I began feeling the allure of an academic career. This was partly at my professor’s urging, but the feeling became stronger as time went on. I was not accustomed to this level of academic accomplishment, and the attention and compliments from professors took some getting used to. But I liked it. What if teaching might be the career I chose after all? This was a big deal.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I loved college. I am a naturally curious person. And I love to read, write, and talk about what I am reading and writing. Things started clearing up in my mind.

So, after working at a local bookstore for a few years to save money and clarify things in my mind, I went back to school for my Masters degree and teaching certificate. With the job market so tight, I wonder if now is the time to see if a doctorate is possible for me. I know that this is a goal I will have until I either fulfill it or not. And I know that there are people who will be there to support me as I pursue it.

The main reason I chose this subject is that I love learning and love the idea of helping others learn. My hope is that this first few blog posts will give anyone who might be reading these more of an idea of what I am passionate about and interested in.