Uh…professor Aubrey?
Actually I’m more of an instructor, professors are teachers of the highest rank and well…I’m not there yet.
For those who haven’t heard, I started teaching last week at Hawaii Pacific University. I teach an introduction course to communication and a journalism course. I’m on campus more now than I was as a student and I am still trying to grasp the idea that I get to do something I’ve always considered doing as a profession. My mom actually made an observation that I’ve technically been going to “school” since I was 3 and I’m not sick of it yet, and I’m not. I still consider myself a student even though I’m the one standing up in the front of the class now because I am always willing to learn.
My passion for education didn’t erupt until about a year and a half ago but even when I was little teaching is something I always thought I could do. After a semester of student teaching at UNLV I knew I could do it and be happy. If you would’ve told me seven years ago when I was a freshman at HPU that I would one day be lecturing about communication at HPU, I would’ve probably suggested you had a fever and to take Tylenol. Truth be told I didn’t know until a little after Bryce and I got married that I could, meaning I had the skills and confidence, to teach at HPU. I would like to thank John Windrow for the extra help in seeing to it that I got hired and for believing in me then and continuing to believe in me now.
How many people can say that are at their dream job? How many people talked about “growing up to be….” and actually became that thing? I’m extremely fortunate because I can say this now and be proud that what I’m doing is hopefully going to make a difference to someone, somehow, somewhere.
This is my dream, to do something that matters. We see education constantly trying to overcome hurtles that make it impossible for kids to learn and develop and it is sad. Education is a commodity and students are the consumers and they are the only consumers that want less for their money (a concept borrowed from Dr. Kearns of HPU).
“Education is the key to proficiency,” said Gordon B. Hinckley and you know something, he is right. To me this life is about knowledge and choices and I hope that I can give some student the knowledge to make the best choices for his or her self. I hope that those who want to learn will have nothing in the way to stop them and that like me, they can grow up to have their “dream job.”
I’m optimistic and enthusiastic, but this is only the second week of the first semester in a long lasting career of education and even though it may be challenging, I am professor Aubrey and class is most definitely in session.
