Chuck+McWilliams,+Noyce+Fellow


 * Chuck McWilliams, Biology Teacher**
 * Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School**
 * 7539 Manchester Road**
 * Maplewood, MO 63143**
 * 314-446-3850**
 * c.mcwilliams@mrhsd.k12.mo.us**

//**Why did you become a teacher? Why do you continue to teach?**//

Over the years, I’ve heard some say “people are just born to be a teacher.” Or if someone possesses a desire to become a teacher it is somehow an “innate calling.” My first instinct is to agree with this thinking, since some people out there seem to really have a knack for teaching and inspiring others to achieve great things. It’s as if some people really //were// born with a sort of “gift.” I’m pretty sure this is not the best way to describe me or my chosen path in life. I’m equally sure that you don’t need to be “born to be a teacher” to be an effective and successful educator.

My journey towards becoming a teacher began in my late teenage years. I grew up in Iowa in a very stable family of four. Mom was always home taking care of us and the house. Dad was often accumulating extra hours of overtime in his job at the phone company. As the oldest and only son in the family, my dad exposed me to boy scouts, hunting, fishing, swimming and camping. We took lots of trips and I can’t remember a summer without being outside most of the time. I think in those early years, I started developing my fascination with the natural world. As I went through school, I was a pretty decent student. I got A’s and B’s most of the time and never really got into too much trouble. As I entered my teens, I got into competitive swimming. I also spent my summers as a lifeguard and swimming instructor. Teaching little kids how to swim always made me feel good inside. I actually enjoyed it. As high school graduation approached, I decided to apply and attend the University of Northern Iowa. I looked at a few other colleges, but very quickly settled in on the one. Since my dad spent several years in the Navy, I briefly considered following in his footsteps. But, in the end I decided I would be the first in my family to attend college. I declared my major to be Biology Education. Unlike many of my friends, I never changed my major during college. I enjoyed my science classes and I continued through education methods classes and eventually student teaching.

How, at age 18, did I decide to major in Biology Education? Why? Looking back, I think it was because I liked working with kids, I liked nature and living things, and I also seemed to enjoy my high school biology classes. It’s not that my high school teachers were these “amazing” teachers. They //were// good educators. But I can’t really see how they stood out more than most of the other teachers I had. What I seem to remember most today is that they really cared about kids and they really cared about the content they were teaching.

Today, I am entering my 17th year of teaching. Over the years I’ve not only earned my Bachelors degree in Biology Education, but a Masters degree in Secondary Education. I started work on a PhD in Science Education. I’m also currently working on completing my second Masters degree (this time in Biology). I find it strange, yet comforting, I’m always in school as a student and a teacher. I’m even in the same school I started teaching in as a first-year teacher all those years ago. Even today, I still get excited and a little nervous on the first day of school.

Throughout my career, I’ve learned so much about myself as a teacher. In all honesty I think somewhere, in some part of myself, I //am// that person that was “born to be a teacher." If you asked me though, I would vigorously deny possessing this label. I experience the same challenges as every other educator. I get stressed and experience the same types of challenges all teachers face each and every day. I have no magic tricks up my sleeves, but I do care about and enjoy working with kids. Experience has taught me that small things really make a big difference. Working with students can be both demanding and fulfilling at the same time. I love sharing my passion for learning about Biology with my kids. I think in the end, I keep teaching every day because I enjoy learning right alongside my students. My career in teaching has ultimately led to a fulfilling life of learning.