My Journey as an Educator
For those who may not know I am a professor and have been given the privilege of a teaching career part time by an incredible mentor by the name of Glenn Dunki-Jacobs, now retired.
Having the opportunity to teach business students from 2011-2019 name Mt. Sierra College before the school permanently closed.
In 2019 I to was then referred to by a colleague and former director of the college I am currently at as a Vocational instructor teaching Life Skills.
Current Teaching Role and Student Demographics
The students I teach today are students studying to be medical assistants, surgical tech and medical billing and coding. Although teaching is an incredible privilege it does not give me the ability to survive off that income, due to being part-time and due to the type of colleges I have worked for, mind you these are not large universities or colleges.
College Background and Culture
Every college has its own origin story, the one I work for now, was started over 55 years ago and the founder’s son is President and CEO, his wife is a Vice president, and his daughter is director. We just recently had our equivalent of our Holiday party which acts as a conference too. The college makes great efforts to make sure food is provided, we are of course paid for the time.
This college has over 600 employees and as instructor I can tell how a college treats its people and overall, the college teachers teacher’s and staff with respect and professionalism but in my opinion is known for paying on the lower end of school on account that the college prides itself on being fiscally conservative and responsible which can mean lows wages.
As an instructor and type of instructor we do not get pay increases, but I am sure other regular instructors do. It does pain me that the college has made no attempt to ever offer increases, and I am not going to mention it as I guess I should be thankful for having been there 6 years ago this December.
Legacy, Family, and Personal Reflections
It pains me even more to see what legacies create and although I can not blame the founder for creating the school, but she ultimately created a legacy and generational wealth for the family because frankly how many family owned colleges still exist without selling to the dark side of going to an IPO but they have not and will not as far I know.
But looking at one of the many who are apart of this school, I immediately see for myself how family legacies and dynasties are created, yet unfortunately my family never decided to create one and had the chance.
Value, Recognition, and the Impact of Teaching
This obliviously makes me think about my own legacy for my daughter, what will I leave her with last impact for future generations and unfortunately, I have nothing except maybe my writing.
As an author, no Stephen King of course, but my family and daughter will have my words, my books, blogs and vlogs that I will leave behind, but frankly that is not enough. I severely have failed my daughter and family. As I see the president and his family, who are beautiful, kids are young, one is in college and the other is getting into the family business, each having the immediate place to never ever have to worry about finding a job, as they will always have a place, and how many people have that type of guarantee, not many in fact.
When I see the president and his family, although I don’t know them personally, I see this weight on their shoulders or lack of weight on their shoulders that I don’t have. Like any person they struggle with I am sure, they are human after all.
Although I may never be wealthy or own a company, but who knows I have no legacy, but I guess one can say many do not, they simply one day die as a memory, but leave behind nothing that creates a history. I will also say nothing last forever, case in point of the first college I was started in 1995 and closed its doors in 2019, having a good run.
Having gone to this conference I did genuinely see people happy, many who had been apart of the college for 5, 10,15, 25 and 45 years which is incredible and I guess it’s admirable to feel you have been apart of something for so long.
Deep down I don’t always feel valued, often feel forgotten as being a remote instructor I am not physically on campus anymore but over the years have seen much, people have come and went, especially those who originally brought me to the school.
The Purpose and Importance of Teaching
I am reminded that teaching is not about me, but about the student, about the knowledge I can pass down to future students and generations in hopes they will take that knowledge and use it and pass it along. I can not say that there are not students that haven’t shown appreciation for my teaching but many don’t, many are silent which over time I have learned to accept, although I don’t feel I was that kind of student, I felt I always needed to attempt to contribute to the discussion, to add my own knowledge but students today are very different and not that all students are the same, some ask questions, make comments.
I can help to think when I am in the presence of all of these colleagues is how little I am compared to them as many are doctors and nurses, educators like myself, executives and directors and the heart of the matter is I love being in education, but the dreams I had education never came to fruition such as leading staff, being a director or dean, some one has the ability to use my thoughts and ideas but that is not the cards especially during times when I was teaching on campus for many years, always invisible sadly.
It’s amazing how even in a room of over 600 people one could feel so alone in that I am just a number in the crowd, there are those who obviously more valuable, even the presidents daughter has more value then I will ever have and not because she’s a nepo baby, but because she has been allowed to shine and grow in a direction I only hoped and prayed for.
Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for my teaching role, that is no easy feat, and I work full time in Project management, but even in my day job, my decisions don’t make a last impact like those who lead others.
Final Thoughts on Legacy and Personal Efforts
Deep down I have no issues or problems with the owners, president, his spouse and kids, they are seem like well adjusted, kind people who just happen to live a life I wish I could give my family, but understand that the president is the heir to the college and has taken responsibility in a good way.
Many would argue why shouldn’t he and his family benefit, its his mothers legacy and I can only be angry with myself and my own family who failed to create a legacy of our own, but I am hopefully making efforts in my writing to create something my daughter and have a hold for her future much like how other authors do and their future generations use their works and who knows maybe decades from now, I will be the next JRR Tolkien
Joe Meyers Adventures 