Joy of Teaching

By Yulissa G

Ms. B, an instructor at YB, although she was surrounded by negativity and was constantly traumatized by an invalidating high school, she was able to reflect on that and became better not only for her, but for her students. Knowing that even though her high school was flooded with an agonizing atmosphere, that didn’t stop her from being who she is today.

Ms. B: “Ohh yeah definitely, I had a really negative experience in high school. It was sort of traumatic, it was very negative. The teachers were very negative and everything was very aggressive. You know they yell, they punish and there was no support for students really… I wanted to do this because it was able to give high school students a much better experience than I have had.”

Despite having a traumatic high school experience,  she felt like she could be the change that was needed to better help students the way she wished she was helped. She stated that she was a teacher assistant to one of her professors in college and she enjoyed it, in fact she loved it  however she then left to continue to work on human rights. Then she went through a loss, she lost her dad who was also a professor. She felt like the path that was right for her was to continue the work her father was doing and she wanted to know what it felt like being able to teach and do what she loves. That’s when she discovered teaching all over again and she knew it was what she wanted to do.

Ms. B: “I’ve always loved teaching. I think you know in graduate school, I was a teaching assistant to my professor and I really enjoyed it. I loved it but then I sort of left that to continue human rights work to work more on research and with women in a community of victims of domestic abuse and then when my dad died, he was also a professor and I wanted to go back and touch what he had done in many ways and I rediscovered teaching and that’s when it started.”

Although she didn’t pick US history, she still genuinely loved it since she was in elementary. Forming that connection with just a simple yet intricate subject was something that she held dearly. Ms. B loves all the segments of US history but one of her favorite ones was the start of it all. When they talk about the founding ideas that made America they are important because we can look back and remember those ideas of equality and justice for everyone she says.

Ms. B: “Oh European history, world history, US history, any history I love. I’ve always loved history, always like I think since I was in elementary school… I think definitely the beginning, talking about the founding ideas that made America because those are so important for us to turn back to keep going and trying to obtain those ideas of equality and justice for everyone”.

She always believed in her students. Ms. B always wants  her students to believe in themselves and to know that they could do anything they put their mind to. Her favorite part about her job is to see her students slowly start to see they are more than what they think they are. She loves to see her students succeed and to be the teacher that helps make that happen.

Ms. B: “I think it’s to see people you know come alive and see how they are personally connected to so many important events and to see them see ohh I have this power I have this ability to learn and to be independent learner.” 

Despite having some hard times or having a bad day she says her students are the ones that help her and always bring her back. Even when things are getting hard or she’s tired her students always remind her why she loves to teach. She never wants to stop teaching. Since being a teacher, Ms. B has seen a lot more things differently. She stated that every student opens a new window for her. All her students have affected her in so many ways in such a positive way. They have all taught her different ways of seeing things and a new way of trying to understand and support people. 

Ms. B: “I think the students have been the best part there, always the high point of teaching so that’s always like the thing that keeps me going that brings me back everyday are my students. I love all my students. I can say that unequivocally.”