Who am I?
I have taught high school math for over 15 years. I graduated from SUNY Stony Brook (BA in Math, Class of ’69) and began teaching that fall at Jamaica High in Queens. We had a fantastic math department and I gained immeasurably from the experience, creativity, and enthusiasm for teaching that I encountered. (Unfortunately, they were unable to teach me how to dress. See photo at left. I know, I know... but we used to think this looked good!)
I loved teaching at Jamaica but left in 1978 to pursue another ambition, psychology. In 1982, I received my psychology doctorate from the University of Florida and returned to Long Island. Psychology is a wonderful, broad, and important field but, over time, I found that I increasingly missed the classroom, a need I satisfied by teaching adjunct courses at CW Post and NYIT.
Then, a friend mentioned that Commack High School was interviewing for a math teacher. I could not get the thought out of my mind, so I applied and am very grateful to the administrators who took a chance on an “older applicant”.
What did I find in my new/old career? I found I still love it. Of course, everything has changed over the years; the curriculum, the demands on the teachers and students, and now there are calculators! But, really, nothing has changed. The classroom is still a great place to be. I am very fortunate to have found my way back.
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