People often find it weird when I tell them I actually majored in history at Ole Miss. How on earth could I be qualified to teach biology? Why don't I teach history? This is a great point. Majoring in history actually made me think about teaching in a low income district in my home state. I took several classes that highlighted the inequalities in the south east - Southern Studies, various American History classes, and my senior thesis class that focused on civil rights in Lafayette County.
Even though I majored in history, I minored in biology and environmental studies. I spent a summer volunteering at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science where I acted as a guide for an exhibit about frogs. During the summer of 2013, I completed an environmental education internship for Mass Audubon in Westport, Massachusetts. It was then that I absolutely fell in love with science education - I was working full weeks for absolutely no pay and I didn't mind. When it came time to apply for MTC, I had to decide between history and biology. I decided on biology because I loved it so much and I knew that there was a shortage of math and science teachers in the state. I had to study for the biology praxis but I was able to pass it on the first try, and by the grace of God, that's all that mattered. To the state of Mississippi, I was qualified to teach science, state-tested biology, even (which should be a testament to how bad we need science teachers.) Much to the demise of my students last year, you really do learn content when you teach it, too. The things I didn't know or had forgotten completely I learned as I taught them last year, and now I honestly do know how the process of mitosis works. Thankfully, this year I can confidently answer questions instead of my "I am not just going to GIVE you the answer - you need to google it!" defense I used far too often during my first year. |