During my graduate studies at Queens College, Constitutional Law course instructor Professor McManus advised the class, on the first day, and I quote, “If you want to be a teacher and make LOTS of money, find a new profession!” Teachers teach for altruistic and unselfish motivations. So if you do not care about being a millionaire, but care about growing young minds, you are in the right profession!” The class, of course started laughing and I knew I was in the right profession.
I started my teaching career student teaching in the Bellmore-Merrick school district, and I then continued teaching fulltime 7th grade social studies at the HAFTR middle school. Being that I was the only 7th grade social studies teacher at HAFTR middle school at the time, I had a chance to create and apply many different innovating educational approaches. During my years teaching 7th grade social studies at HAFTR middle school, I had many opportunities to develop curriculum to meet New York state 7th grade social studies standards, implement different classroom management techniques, guide students with basic learning skills (which included: organization, how to study, note-taking, punctuality, responsibility, respect and many more), develop and apply different teaching methods to enhance student learning, integrate interdisciplinary subjects to connect the study of social studies-english-technology-math-science to lessons, mentor new teachers, learn history and much more. This offered me the opportunity to teach American history and integrate many other instructive skills within the 7th grade social studies curriculum.