When I firstmoved toGeorgia, it took a couple of months to find a job.While looking for a new job, I dropped my children off at school and picked them up every day. It was so relaxing that I threw myself into volunteering at the school. As I got more involved, I began to enjoy the schedule. I did not think much of it till I got another bank job and went back to the daily grind. My new job was so hectic that I sat down one day and said to myself, "This is not good." I needed to do something else. Then the market crunch hit, and I got laid off fromwork. I was home again. I went back to the school schedule with the children, and I thought to myself again. "I quite like this schedule." That was when my husband suggested that I get a job in teaching. It was a good idea, but I wondered whether the students would understand my accent. One day I shared my thoughts about getting into the teaching profession with my daughter’s teacher, and she said "Why not?” “Do you have a degree already?” I said, "Yes." Then she said, "You only need to take the teacher certification; that’s it." That kind of started my journey into education. I needed to take the GRE and enrolled in a two-yearMaster’s programme in Early Childhood Education. After graduation, I started in special education - kids. It was a trying time. I questioned God so much. Why did God create kids that needed this much support? He gave me an answer, which was, "I created them for a purpose, and that makes them wonderful in their own rights, and they are to be loved unconditionally." I stopped questioning and threw myself into my support role. I have since switched to teaching first graders. Teaching has been a joy and my true calling. I enjoy it when children come to me not knowing how to read and leave knowing how. It has been a fulfilling career for me. One of my life's philosophies is that every child, regardless of background, can be educated. I also believe that everyone is different and learns differently. I have a very photographic memory. That’s how I learn. With some children, you have to sing for them to grasp the concept, and for others, you can act it out, and they get it. Teaching does not pay much, but there is real fulfillment in it. It’s one of the few careers that makes you feel like you are making a difference in someone’s life. It is nice to be in a position where children can lean on me. LEANONME I AM The music settles. Sure and soothing. Ethereal. The notes blend smoothly. I smile. I swoon. I croon. Thank you, Mr. Keyboardist. 35
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