Ironically my passion for English writing and English teaching began in community college. I had just been rejected by all the universities I applied to. I was quite distraught and skeptical of myself. On top of that, I was not allowed to enroll in English 1A which is the regular English class because of my low English level. I was placed just above ESL classes. Fortunately, that class was taught by a teacher who was experienced in helping students who are neither ESL level nor native speaker level. This was perfect for me as I was a 1.5 generation Korean-American who spoke English almost like the native students but could not read or write at a higher level. I had moved from Texas to New Jersey to California, never really gaining the skills I needed to perform well academically and this frustrated a lot of my teachers in High School. Most of them just let me be but this teacher was different. She encouraged me to read, write and discuss the topic with her. My English writing quickly improved (although grammar was still very difficult for me to master). To this day, I can proudly say that the teacher I met in my community college years changed my view on English forever. Since that semester, I changed my major to English and I have been keeping up with my goals to become an English professor. I chose English composition certificate because I wanted to learn how to help students more effectively. After this, I am hoping to move onto community college teaching.
What an inspiring story!! Doesn't this make you feel excited about the prospects of teaching? One day you will be helping students who may have been in your same position. It's things like this that make me want to teach; the difference you can make in someone's life is huge. Awesome :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent backstory, Heejung! I too started off in community college, testing into English 848 (Intro to Composition and Reading). I'm a 10th-generation American, but I'm the first in my immediate family line to earn a college degree in the last 100 years. While my parents are well-read and well-spoken, I struggled with reading and writing, so by the time I entered college, I too could speak well was less advanced as a reader and writer. Like you, I met some of the greatest teacher influences at my community college, so I feel extremely fortunate that my life path led me there.
ReplyDeleteYour path is no doubt an asset, especially at SFSU, given how many "generation 1.5" students we are likely to encounter. This connection will be valuable to you and them both. I would like to hear you talk about this in class.
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