Dan O’Leary and Rebecca Noel were two teachers I’ve had who showed me what teaching really should be. Mr. O’Leary was my high school Latin teacher who not only took an interest in his students’ personal lives, but in making sure they lived up to their potential with his no-nonsense attitude. He helped to foster my love of history, but also kept me from being a slacker when I needed it most. Dr. Noel was not only a fantastic advisor while I was a student of her’s, but she also continued to guide me through graduate school as well. She even helped edit my graduate thesis when my advisor proved to be unhelpful and uncooperative. In both cases, they showed me how to push myself, but also how to find help when I needed it. I’ve tried to apply those lessons to my students, and in many cases I’ve received feedback from them to prove that they needed it as much as I did.

In terms of a positive or negative, it’s a “little of column A, little of column B” situation. The hard pushes from Mr. O’Leary maybe didn’t always feel great at the time of being a student, and I can definitely feel that resistance from my own students from time-to-time. Dr. Noel represented the other end of the spectrum, where I always felt comfortable and supported in her courses, but maybe didn’t put in my full effort or reach my full potential as a result. All in all, I’ve spent my teaching years trying to exhibit the best aspects of both teachers, and find a happy middle ground.

I believe my future teaching self would encourage patience in finding that middle ground. I also think that she would encourage me to listen to my students as a guide to not only finding the middle ground of these two great teachers, but also find my own unique pattern within their teachings.