Why I Teach

I decided to become a teacher when I was 24. I am 27 now. I became a teacher for the romantic reasons that most teachers share, and because of anger.

Most teachers seem to have a family member or parent in education. I didn't, and so didn't know what that life looked like, so I had to create my own myth. Naturally everyone loved to hear me talk, loved the fact that I opened up worlds for them, and that I understood what they were going through. I was an outstanding coach. I dreamed of writing books during the summer, buying a pick-up truck, covering the back and insulating it, traveling throughout the country. Waking up one morning in Spain or India to a nice cup of coffee.

So my myth was based not on one life but two: I wanted to be a teacher, and I wanted to be something else, and I thought that I could do them both at the same time.

But I also was very angry. I worked construction with guys who were recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. One of them had such severe stomach problems that he would not be able to control going to the bathroom on the job site. Another guy knew that he was going to get laid off, so he put a nail through his hand with a gun to try to claim disability. Guys walking off roofs on purpose.

One of my best friends went to Iraq. Accidentally killed a child. Saw people burn to death. Was blown out of a Humvee and broke his back. Marines claimed that he had a preexisting back injury. He and other people in his unit arranged to get married to people that they did not know just so they could double their salary, kick back part of it to their wife or superior officer, whoever would keep it quiet.


I don't think about who's to blame. But it did not have to be this way. You can look at these behaviors, frauds as immoral, or you can look at them as a sense of opportunity.

I believe in a different sense of opportunity.