by Yealin Lee, staff reporter
Mr. Thompson Global 1, Honors World History, and US History teacher
- What inspired you to become a teacher?
I always knew I wanted to do something that was not only interesting, but also rewarding. I wanted a career where I felt I was actually making a difference, and that’s what inspired me to be a teacher.
- Why did you choose to teach this subject?
I chose to teach history because it was my favorite subject when I was in school.
- What teacher(if any) impacted your life when you were in school?
I can’t really think of a single teacher who impacted me. It was more of a collection of many teachers. I have a lot of memories where teachers had an effect on me; both positively and negatively. And I think the collection of those experiences is what made me who I am today.
- What sacrifices have you made since becoming a teacher?
I think the biggest sacrifice every teacher makes is time! Unless you are a teacher, you can’t understand how much time goes into making a lesson, grading work, and trying to come up with new, interesting things to do in class everyday. Being a teacher is a lot of fun and it is extremely rewarding; especially when you hear from students that you are doing a good job and that they enjoy your class. But it is a 24/7 experience; there really isn’t a time where I am not thinking about school and how to make my class more interesting for my students.
- How many years have you been a teacher? What was the name of the last school you taught at? What subjects and grade did you teach there?
This is my 3rd year teaching. The last school I taught at was TASS Middle School in Manhattan. I taught 6th grade social studies and 6,7,8th grade drama.
- Has being a teacher changed who you are? For better or worse?
Teaching has definitely changed me for the better. It’s great to see the world through the eyes of a different generation, and to hear student’s views and listen to their opinions about the world today.
- What do you believe the ups and downs of being a teacher are?
Teaching has a lot of ups and downs; you have days when everything you planned goes right, and then there are those days when it seems everything goes wrong. The up days are when you plan a great lesson; it goes off without a hitch and the students feel it was both interesting and informative (they learned something). The down days are when you take the time to plan an activity; something that you think is going to be a huge hit and it flops. The last thing you want to see, as a teacher, is classroom time being wasted.
8.Have your students impacted you as a teacher?
The biggest impact on a teacher is their students. Everyday I show up to school I’m thinking about how I can make this day productive and fun for my students. When I am successful, it makes my day better but when I am unsuccessful, it makes me want to work that much harder for the next day. Students are the real measuring stick for a teacher. It’s not about what the principal thinks or what other teachers think; what impacts a teacher most is what their students think and how successful they are.
- Do you have any secret talents?
I don’t know if they are secrets, but my talents would be I’m very good athlete, I play guitar and I’m pretty funny; when I want to be.
