TEACHING IN COLLEGE
My journey started when my former professor in college called me one late afternoon and told me that our former dean, who is already an academic director in a different college, was looking for English teachers at their school. My professor told me that our former dean specifically looked for me and my other colleague. I was more than happy to hear about the news. I wasn't applying for a job that time but they were looking for English teachers, they looked for me and my colleague. Unfortunately, she didn't want to apply that time so I went alone.
A few days after, I went to our former dean's school. I remember the first time I went inside the school and it immediately felt like home. I had a sudden feeling that I'll be teaching there even though I hadn't submitted my documents yet. And I was right, I got accepted.
Before I started the application process, I talked to our former dean and asked about the position because all I knew was that they're looking for English teachers. So I asked her, "am I going to teach in elementary or in high school?" and her answer totally changed my expectations. "You'll be teaching in college".
All I ever imagined after graduation was that I'd be teaching elementary pupils or high school students and never have I thought about teaching college students. Honestly, I was a bit hesitant that time because some college students are just about my age, some are even older than me, some are already married, more mature than me, and I believe that my qualifications are lacking but the school gave me a chance to grow as an educator. I was hired not because our former dean knows me personally because I used to be her student when I was in college but because I went through the application process and the final teaching demo.
The faculty members of our department and I went through different trainings before the classes started. On my first day of school, the students didn't actually believe that I was going to be their instructor for the rest of the semester because I looked too young to be a teacher. They found out later when I introduced myself to the class. But at the end of the semester, I realized that my students didn't just learn from me, but I also learned from them.
Teaching may sound tiring and exhausting to most people. But to me, it is a very rewarding experience and I consider the school my second home.
