Being A Teachifier

Back in the day when I was a history student at the B.Y. University, I used to take history classes (shocking I know). Anyway, in said history classes at the beginning of the semester we would often introduce ourselves. Normally the introductions would go something like this.

Male Student One: Hello, my name is Peter. I’m a history major. I was going to be a history teaching major, but then I decided I wouldn’t be able to support a family as a teacher so I’m going to go to law school.

Male Student Two: Hello, my name is James. I’m a history major. I was going to be a history teaching major, but then I decided I wouldn’t be able to support a family as a teacher so I’m going to law school.

Male Student Three: Hello, my name is John. I’m a history major. I was going to be a history teaching major, but then I decided I wouldn’t be able to support a family as a teacher so I’m going to law school.

Me: Hello, my name is Andrew and I’m a history teaching major (and apparently I don’t care about being able to support a family, which could explain why I can’t get a second date).

Anyway, that was back in my college days. Now fast forward to last year when I met the girl of my dreams whose dad just happens to be, yep, you guessed it, a lawyer. This has allowed me to have first hand knowledge of what I passed up. Not only that, but the Mrs. works for him so that even gives me a little more insight.

Well, as you know, or should know, Christmas is coming up which means it’s time for Christmas bonuses. The Mrs. found out what her Christmas bonus on Sunday and then I got mine on Monday. Now, to ensure that I don’t get fired by the District, or beat up by the father according to law, I won’t divulge how much each bonus was (and remember, the Mrs. is just an employee of the lawyer, not the lawyer himself) however just know that her's was more than mine, and not just by a little bit.

This has led me to come up with a list (you know it had to be coming sometime right) of why I still love teaching, even if my teaching bonus, is, well, somewhat recessionistic. Hopefully this list will convince any prospective history student out there that teaching, not lawyerifying, is really the way to go.

- I had a student who wore real chain mail to class a couple weeks ago. It was awesome.

- I get to watch Payson basketball destroy the team from the Hills (course, anybody could have watched that game theoretically, but it’s not the same when you work with them).

- I get to teach two amazing U.S. Studies classes. I think someone in those classes listened to me . . . once.

- I honestly look forward to going to work every day.

- I can still eat school lunch whenever I want.

- I get to work with teenagers every day. Who doesn’t love teenagers.

- I get to ride on school buses to such places as Delta, Vernal, Price, Mt. Pleasant, and Nephi at least twice a year.

- I’m able to constantly update my vocabulary as I listen to my students talking.

- I get to have lunch with Coaches Johnson, Beck, Peery, and Chapman (who also like to keep me up to date on any vocabulary I might not know).

- I'm constantly amused, like when one of my students didn’t know that reindeer were real (oh wait, that was somebody else I know)

- My students also keep me humble. For example, in the space of about three minutes I had two students tell me I was weird and a different one told me I was awkward. It was very enlightening.

And that will do for now. If that doesn't convince you that you should be a teacher instead of a lawyer, I don't know what will.