1. What made you want to join the Mississippi Teacher Corps?
I thought about pursuing a career as a teacher immediately after graduating with my B.A. in History. At the time though, I felt like I was not old enough to command the respect of high school students, and that I lacked the life experience to needed to impart more than just academic knowledge in young folks. I sort of forgot about teaching until I was living in Zambia. The Zambian teachers in my village and the surrounding villages became some of my best friends and over the time I lived there I saw the tremendous roles they played in their respective communities. This got me thinking about giving the teaching profession a real try. I found MTC online and it looked like a great opportunity to do just that while also teaching in an area of the country where good teachers are really needed.
2. You graduated from law school before joining the teaching profession. Has that experience helped you in the classroom? If so, how?
My law school experience has made me an extremely informed U.S. Government teacher. I believe it has helped me present subject matter in an objective fashion without putting any of my personal opinions into lessons or subject matter. Occasionally, students tell me, "I sound like a lawyer," when we are going over material in class and I have a pretty good laugh. Law school definitely changed me in more ways than that and has had a significant impact on the person I am today, but I'm not sure I can point out any other specifics which have helped me in the classroom.
3. You've been teaching at your school for almost eight months now. How have you changed as a teacher?
My students are my favorite part of teaching, always. Seeing how far they've come in the past year is completely inspirational. My students make all the hard work worthwhile because they return that hard work back to me tenfold.
4. What is your favorite thing about living in Meridian?
My favorite thing about living in Meridian is probably its central location in the American South. The 3 hour drive to New Orleans, 3 hour drive to Oxford, 2 hour drive to Birmingham, and 1.5 hour drive to Jackson give you a lot of choices on places to visit when you have time off. If you choose stay in town, there are plenty of restaurants to go to eat at and the grocery store selection isn't too shabby, unlike some of my cohort member in the Mississippi Delta.
