3 of 16

Write now Article Tools

I didn't set out to become an English teacher. I went to college to find a husband, but I had to pick a major. Mine was history, because I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to study, and the college didn't offer home economics. After getting a D in Ancient History I, I changed my major to English, because I seemed to have a knack for it.

My first test in freshman English was mastered, whereas everyone else failed. I learned more English in my French classes in high school than I did in my English classes, which helped me pass that freshman test. I suppose this is where my journey toward becoming an English teacher began. The road on the journey took a few twists and turns, but in the end, I spent 38 years in the classroom.

I'd tell anyone who desires to become an English teacher to reconsider; it is the most hated subject in school. Good English students are few and far between and hardly any of them like you. How do I know? I taught history before I taught English. I was a popular teacher; then, the English teacher had to quit, and I opted to change subjects, and I automatically became the "mean" English teacher. One student said to me, "We don't really hate you, we just hate the class!" If you're set on becoming an English teacher, you need to brace yourself for a personality adjustment!

Language should be a passion if you choose to teach English. I remember my love for the dictionary in elementary and high school. I took Spanish and French classes. I was fascinated with the rules...they became puzzles to me. I soon learned that English is the most difficult language to learn, but somehow my brain had figured out ways to overcome the hard parts. I am sure that my love of reading also helped me in my decision to teach English. Besides my passion for language, I really appreciated my teachers, especially my English teachers.

Having wonderful English teachers as models, I am sure my desire to become a teacher was born. I chose to major in English and minor in history and education. I never thought I would work as a teacher, but after my young husband died the year I graduated from college, I had to do something.

I never knew how time-consuming teaching would become. Grading papers after school cut into my social time. That's another warning. An English teacher's work is never done, and neither is my housework! I have read so many novels, short stories, poems, and magazines that my home is full of literature! I've been cleaning for the last two years since I retired, but my house is still filled with "piles"-indigenous to English teachers.

All in all, having a passion for the language and a desire to help others learn led me down the teaching road. I bypassed the road along the way under duress...an offer to double my salary to go into the world of training and development. That only lasted a few years because I missed the students. The "know-it-all" executives of the world of work were not the ones I was meant to mentor. Looking back, I would not change a thing. It's funny how one's life gets blown around by circumstances. Mine blew me onto the right road-the wonderful road to literature and language!

Learn more about this author, Ann Palmieri.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about The making of an English teacher?
We want to hear your view. Write now!