Serendipity and Teaching

(These photos are of my fabulous group of students from Harrisburg, whom I have the privilege of teaching 2 more classes to soon...)

Someone recently asked me how I started teaching, and it really was one of the most serendipitous moments in my entire adult life.

I moved to Shillington, Pennsylvania in July of 2007, and during the summer of 2008 was walking my dog with my lovely neighbor Sharon. Sharon has lived here since the neighborhood was built 20 plus years ago, and knows many people. As we were looping around, she introduced me to Dr. Jerry Lee, who is a neighbor, and full time Psychology Professor at Albright College. I mentioned to him that I wanted to go back to work doing something in my field (social work, case management, therapy...I was not sure), and he said he had a list of agencies in the area that he would drop off to me.

Weeks later he knocked on my door with the list. He then asked me a question "have you ever thought of teaching?" I think I responded by saying something like "teaching who, what???" I had led group therapies, taught English in France, taught French in my kids' school...but I was not a TEACHER per say, I was more of a clinician. He asked me to send him my resume, and I did.

I got a call later from Dr. Andra Basu, who is in charge of all of the adjunct psychology professors in an accelerated degree program that Albright has, and Dr. Lee was the person who started the program over a decade ago. Classes are held at night, so that working people can finish their 4 year degree in a non-traditional setting. It is a great program, check it out.

http://www.albright.edu/accelerated/


I never had an interview. I was offered "Abnormal Psychology" as my first class to teach in early 2009, went to a day long orientation, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of my first group of students. I was scared, excited, and thrilled...and it just felt RIGHT. All of my life's experience and education had led me to that moment...

I now teach a variety of subjects for Albright, and learn so much from each and every group of students that I have had. I am excited to get back to a group in Harrisburg in a few weeks, I had them for Group Dynamics in May, and I learn so much from hearing what each and every one of them brings to the classroom. I miss them and their weekly updates! The classes are 4 hours long and we meet 5 weeks in a row, so it is a lot of hours in a short amount of time. I am so impressed with them as people, how brave they are in what they reveal about their work or personal lives, pertaining to the subjects that we learn. I know that they will all graduate and have success...I get to have this particular group in Harrisburg for 2 more classes in a row, and am excited to see them all again....

So, just as my stamp paintings emerged from a dream, my teaching career emerged from a walk with my dog, and a serendipitous meeting with Dr. Jerry Lee. Thank you, Dr. Lee, for seeing something inside of me that I did not even know was there. This is the best job, ever.