Trevor Taylor, BSEd ’17, Wagner High School, Judson ISD
High School English I and Pre-AP English
Named Campus “Novice Teacher of the Year”

Step One: Graduate. Step Two: Get a job. Step Three: Get Rich. Step Four: Retire. (I’ll get to four eventually, but I may have to skip step three due to my career field). These are loosely the steps of the American dream and one that I’m not entirely opposed to. But what is missing in this guide to the perfect life is notably the importance of finding joy, not riches. Being an educator, it is vital that one understands two things — you will never be rich as a teacher, and teaching is not for everyone. It is a tough job that asks a lot out of a person for very little in return.

A week (literally seven days) after crossing the stage and becoming a Baylor alum, I was offered my dream job of being a high school English teacher at Wagner High School in San Antonio. Many of us hope to make a difference in the world around us. We strive to leave a legacy. We desire to leave the world a better place than the way we found it. I felt called to pursue this mission in the community that raised me, so there was no better place for me to begin my career as a world changer than in the exact same halls that I walked as a high school student.

Having had such an amazing experience in the Baylor School of Education (yes, even the dreaded e-folio and end-of-the-year teacher Google site I had to do), I felt prepared for whatever challenges would come my way. But sometimes lessons are better learned when the safety net is removed from underneath you. Will you flap your wings, or will you swiftly fall and crash? I did a bit of both. Baylor did the very best job they could, but the truth of the matter is that soldiers are never fully prepared until they step foot on the battlefield, and the same goes for teachers.

My first year of teaching was filled with many smiles along with many sleepless nights. I taught English I and Pre-AP English. One thing I quickly learned was that on my contract underneath job description, it says something along the lines of “other duties as assigned.” My “other” duties included being an athletic and life coach, emcee/DJ at pep rallies, an announcer at sporting events, #1 fan, substitute parent/guardian, counselor, custodian, and at times simply an open ear to my students. Though I loved all of my other duties, there were many times when I was completely poured out. I had nothing left to offer — not to family, friends, or even myself. My first year of teaching was depleting; if I were not passionate about my job, I would not have survived. I believe this is true for most teachers.

Teaching at a high school is amazing. I built relationships with over 130 students, learning about their upbringing, hobbies, passions and dreams, treating each one like an actual human rather than an empty canister that requires me to dump my extensive knowledge of the English language into their brains. Teaching requires you to learn each student’s strengths and weaknesses, their learning styles, and what helps each individual one.

After you tailor your lesson plans and practice all of the tips you have studied in your pedagogy courses, you’ll find out one unfortunate truth — for some, it won’t work. It’s not because of your lack of skill or your ability to teach (at least not all of the time), but simply because some students do not want to learn. You can build a positive relationship with them, contact parents, have one-on-ones, form groups, have them work individually. You might try everything in your power to save them, but here’s the truth — you can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. This was the hardest lesson I learned, but one that I can never forget. While there are a handful who do not care to be saved, there are dozens who are looking to you as their teacher to fulfill your promise of being the very best teacher you can be regardless of the circumstances.

So, yes, teaching is worth it! Regardless of the pay or the hours of rewriting lesson plans, the annoying parents, and the offspring of those annoying parents, the title of teacher has much more weight to it than most realize. You should wear this title proudly, because those who are called to this field are the only ones who are tailored to stay.

Remember to take it one day at a time (in some cases, one class period at a time). Rejoice in the small victories. Celebrate progress. Remember to breathe. And never forget that you have the ability to change the world.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

“I’m not saying I’m gonna rule the world or I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee you that I will spark the brain that will change the world. And that’s our job; it’s to spark somebody else watching us.” – Tupac