In 2017, I graduated college and entered the adult world in an unprecedented political landscape. I regretted having chosen to study Political Science of all subjects in college only to no longer want any part of politics. Though I loved my home community and many family members hoped I’d return, I stayed in the Twin Cities, as job opportunities were few and far between in my rural hometown. Frustrated and unsure of what career options I had, I began working as a barista in the meantime.
I remained directionless for a while, putting on a happy face six days a week as I poured lattes. Though it wasn’t my favorite thing to do, it quickly became a job I could do well. My boss took notice, and she asked me to train one of the new employees. After this, I found myself consistently scheduled to work alongside the newbies on training shifts. I asked my manager why they were always scheduled to work with me instead of being trained by her, as it usually happens.
“Because you’re great at it. You’re a good teacher,” she told me.
I was flattered by her kind words. I couldn’t say this was the first time I’d been told this. The first time I heard it was in a note home from my kindergarten teacher, praising me for my patience in helping a classmate with a number game. My high school chemistry teacher recognized me for the work I did to assist my classmates at our quarterly awards ceremony. At first, I didn’t see these as signs that I would make a great educator someday. Helping my peers with their work was just something I always did. It was as natural as breathing.
Every sign pointed toward me becoming a teacher, but the older I grew, the more I thought I could never succeed in the profession. As a person on the autism spectrum with high anxiety, I assumed I would succumb to all the pressures teaching entails. After hearing my manager praise my teaching skills, I began considering teaching for real.
A few weeks later, I received a Facebook message from my former high school principal. Back at home, community members posted racist comments about my charter school, and she simply said, “I know you have a passion for writing, and I would love to hear your perspective on this”. I knew this was more than a two person conversation. She was asking me to share my writing to speak out against hate and injustice. That English minor I picked up “simply because I loved the subject” came in handy as I hastily wrote some thoughts online.
While it felt great to see my writing being shared across Facebook and praised as a powerful voice, it was in the process of writing that piece that I reflected on my own education. I felt privileged to have gone to a diverse school, where teachers strayed from the typical textbooks and reading lists and encouraged us to explore different perspectives and use our voices for good in the world. After publishing the piece, it became clear to me that I wanted to do what my teachers did for me and equip students with the skills to share their unique perspectives with the world. Though all my teachers encouraged this, none did this more than the English teachers who pushed boundaries and challenged the traditional structure of the classroom. It finally clicked for me that teaching is inherently political work. My Political Science degree didn’t seem meaningless after all.
Before the end of the year, I took the leap and started working as a substitute teacher, just to see if I could handle the stresses of the classroom environment before fully committing to the profession. It wasn’t easy, but I surprised myself in how well I handled stressful situations. After taking assignments at the same few locations, I got the chance to get to know the students, I loved the job even more. I left my job as a barista and subbed as many days as possible. Every time I subbed for an English class, I felt at home with the material. With my desire to teach English solidified, I applied to the Master’s in Teaching program at Augsburg, and I am learning how I can create a classroom environment that empowers students to explore diverse perspectives, ask critical questions, and use their voices as forces for good in the world.
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