Do you come from a family of teachers? Most of my friends from college have several teachers in their family; parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. I, on the other hand, am the first teacher in my family. So, I'm curious. Is teaching in your blood? If so, who's an educator in your family?
Nobody n my family has been a teacher. Closest was my mom's sister, who was a school psychologist for a while.
I'm the first person in my family to graduate college, with my sister who is 5 years older, finishing shortly after. I've always wanted to be a teacher since I was little because I'm the story of it was my sanctuary. My home life was crap and really felt the classroom a pleasant and safe alternative to where I grew up. I really respected and admired all my teachers and spent a lot of time emulating them. I've wanted to teach, in various forms or another, since I was 5 years old! Teaching is in "my blood" despite not having any professional relatives. I have "it." And as far as people being related to teachers, it's nice but can also be bad too. I've known many of my classmates who were studying ed because "it's in my family", and were not very thrilled about it and were pretty crappy teachers. And guess what ? Unfortunately they know all the right people and say the right things and --POOF-- they're in a classroom being miserable while others who had to claw their way up will never even get a chance. I'm not saying that it's always the case as I do know many wonderful friends who came from an educational "dynasty" (let's say) I'm just saying too often I've found people just do it because it's almost expected of them. I WISH I had come from a family of educators in my area. It'd make getting a job so much easier.
I'm the only person in my family who is a teacher. I'm also the only one who finished high school and went to college. Not surprising since I grew up in a tiny town tucked away up on the mountains where we went to school in bare feet when the weather was nice.
My dad was a teacher. I also had several aunts that taught. Although it wasn't the complete reason, but some of the reason I got into education was I saw from them what a rewarding career teaching could be.
My sister has been teaching for over 20 years. My grandmother, with whom I was very close, taught for over 30 years. I remember going in to her classroom(s) with her when her district had different days off than the one I attended. She would give me standardized tests to see how smart I was so she could brag. I loved testing after that.
My aunt is a retired teacher. My mom is a school psychologist and my sister is a teacher as well. We both are working our way up to admin.
My grandma was a teacher and so was her mother. My MIL, FIL and his wife are all teachers. So not by blood but lots of teachers in the family either way.
My great aunt was a teacher. My mom & step dad got married when I was about 9... His family lots of teachers... although not blood i think of them as just another set if gparents. So my great granny. She actually did the 6-8wks required many a years ago to teach. She did go to college to get degree when required & I think retired like 4-6yrs later. Lol. She was retired when I knew her. My gpa was a teacher & admin. He taught geography & history... I did minor in that. Also profs at universities on that side. one of my cousins help write the college program for pharmacist to go through at a university. She also taught classes. Education was very important in our family. Although not all went to college...
I didn't apply anywhere near where I grew up because I didn't want to be held to the standard of my mom. As a first year teacher at 21 years old, there is no way I would have measured up. My mom raised us before she went into the classroom, had had experience with all ages of kids and knew more about literature than the teacher with a doctorate in the next classroom.
My Mom, Aunt and Uncle, Step dad, step sister, and a few cousins are all teachers. Some have moved up to Admin..others have "retired" and become subs...yea teaching is a family business here. It's awesome to have some people close to me that I can use for resources. The flip side is, it's hard to establish yourself as a new teacher under the shadow of those who have come before me. I used to want to teach in the district I attended and my parents taught. As I am starting out I am learning that it is easier to establish myself without being compared to family members by teaching elsewhere.
My grandmother taught religious education and several of my relatives work in education/administration. I am the only teacher.
It's interesting to see that many of you are in the same boat as me! Neither of my parents attended college, and I'm their first child to graduate from a university.
It's good that you don't just try to ride the coat tails of your mother. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Some just assume that since relative x is an educator in a district, that they'll get a job. And sadly, it does happen. A LOT! I was in the ed program with a bunch of people who shouldn't even be in a classroom as many of them didn't even like children or the thought of getting dirty was beyond comprehensible to them. But mommy or daddy had graduated with an ed degree from the school so they assume they should too. If you happen to share the same last name with the Super you're interviewing with, why even bother with the rest of us? This IS what I liked about Arizona. They need teachers, so they'll interview you and give you a fair shot. They didn't care who I was related to or who I knew. They just wanted to know about me as a professional and a teacher.
Both of my parents are retired teachers and my brother briefly worked at the Department of Education (he's the family oddball in web design). It took me a long time to complete my teaching certification due to many factors, mainly my own immaturity in my teens and twenties, but I'm exactly where my DNA placed me.
Nope, no teachers in my family. My (step)-mother-in-law was, and funny enough, my cousin who I always connected with much more than my sisters when growing up, is also a teacher, but none that I know of in any higher generations. (Errr, I forgot my Aunt on my dad's side - she teaches in college)
I have some in my family, but I'm the only one who didn't get a real job right out of school and had to substitute.
My parents are both teachers. My mom worked in a lovely private school. I would love to teach somewhere like that (the school closed a few years ago due to lack of funds), but can't afford a private school salary as a single person. My dad works in public school. At his school, they don't let family work together so it certainly didn't help me any! Like a pp said, I wouldn't want to work in the same school (or even district) anyway because I would hate being constantly compared to my dad. His principal did offer to interview me for practice when I graduated, which was really nice of him. I ended up getting a job before the interview was set up, but I definitely appreciated the offer. I moved states for a job right out of college. I ended up loving it here and have no plans to move back to my home state!
Have I mentioned I'm a second-generation substitute? My mother subbed all through my childhood and waited (well, kind of HAD to for a position to open) until my brother was in college to take a full-time gig. I subbed for three years before I was hired at my current school.
I've been teaching for over twenty years. I have no need to ride on anyone's coat tails. The past three jobs I've had were offers on the spot at my interview. It does help to have stellar references. I do have some very well known and admired administrators as references. That has helped immensely. And no, I am not related to any of these administrators. They were all strangers before I started working for them.
I always liked to call myself a "guest teacher" or "gypsy educator". It was amazing to be in a position to help that many students to learn. THOUSANDS of students look at my own mother as a maternal figure years later. The only way I came close to having that kind of effect was as this past year as a department chair, helping my team help their kiddos.
I can learn a lot from you on remaining positive about substitute teaching. It's a frustrating thing, but it's part of the game.
Me and my twin sister are the only teachers on our side of the family. Both 3rd grade teachers as well! My fiancés family has a huge part of teachers. Many of his aunts, uncles, and cousins are teachers. the
I have a sister who is a teacher, two aunts who were teachers; one was an administrator; two aunts who were paraeducators, and an uncle by marriage who was a teacher along with many cousins. However, teaching got in "my blood" from first subbing and then being a para. These things at the age of 37 helped to finally see what I wanted to be when I grew up.
Teaching doesn't really run in my family necessarily - my mom student taught chemistry but ended up going into a different field, and my dad's a professor at the university near here, but other than that there aren't any teachers in my family I know of (although now that I think of it, I think my grandpa and one of my uncles might have been professors at some point). In any case, I'd still say teaching is in my blood because I can't NOT teach. Even when I thought I was never going to teach in a classroom, I still ended up teaching in some form (most of the time it's, "Hey, did you know ____" any chance I get). It's just what I do. I love to learn and I love to tell people what I've learned, and I love seeing the lightbulb go on when someone understands something, whether they're 3 or 30.
