By Gresham Brown

My father knew firsthand the difficulties of this profession. He was the son of a teacher, and he was a teacher himself. My father loved his job, but there were the countless hours, emotional intensity, and limited pay that were part of his profession. And like all good fathers, my dad wanted something better for his children. My three siblings and I understood this. We knew that Dad came home late and spent his weekends grading papers. We knew that money was tight. We knew that Dad loved and cared for his students, and he didn't leave his struggles in the classroom each day.

My father passed away when I was in ninth grade, and I took a job at a local drug store to help ease my family's financial strain. As I worked each day, I thought about my father's career advice and about careers that offered the promise of higher income and lower stress. With my experience at the drug store, I envisioned myself becoming a pharmacist. The salary was attractive, and I was strong in math and science.

        Upon graduating from high school, I entered the University of South Carolina as a pre-pharmacy major with the dream of nine-to-five hours and a big salary. But an unexpected epiphany occurred that freshman year: I realized that I was happiest when I was around kids. Whether it was playing with my young cousins, helping out in my town's pre-school, or caring for toddlers at church—I was at my best when I was with kids.

         Growing up in the church, I had numerous opportunities to work and interact with children. Adults in my life had affirmed my ability to bring out the best in kids, but I had never really listened. Now I took their words to heart. I could no longer see myself standing behind a drug store counter. Like my father and his father, I wanted to be a teacher.         

       To make sure this was truly the right fit, I worked at the Shandon Presbyterian afterschool program during spring semester. I spent afternoons interacting with six year olds, reading books to them and helping with homework. The experience confirmed my desire to become a teacher.

       So I switched my major to psychology with a minor in elementary education, and I enjoyed every practicum experience my program allowed. But I had another big realization when I entered USC's master's of arts in teaching program. I began taking methodology courses that showed me that teaching was much more than presenting information: teaching is about learning. And learning occurs in an environment where kids feel safe, have the space to ask their own questions, and pursue their own interests.

         Several professors opened my eyes to this perspective, showing me that learning can be inspirational, and this new way of teaching thrilled me. Teaching now became an avenue where I could help mold children into readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, and thinkers. I had the opportunity, responsibility, and privilege to change a child's life.

        My graduate professors not only provided a foundation for understanding teaching, but they gave me an opportunity to connect theory to practice. I had the incredible privilege of conducting my internship and student teaching at the Center for Inquiry, a magnet school operated by USC in conjunction with Richland School District Two. Here all the theory and ideas in my courses were being put into action.

         I arrived at the center on the first day of school and watched second-graders walk into Tim O'Keefe's classroom for the very first time. I took detailed notes of everything Mr. O'Keefe did—the games he played, the songs he sang, and how he interacted with each student. I watched Mr. O'Keefe allow his students to pursue their own research questions and write about topics that were important to them.

        The Center for Inquiry put it all together for me—theory and practice. I am greatly indebted to my professors and mentor teachers who molded me into the teacher I am today.

         I'm now in my 10th year of teaching, and thankful to still be in the classroom, learning alongside my 4th-grade students. I continue to implement a workshop and inquiry approach to teaching and learning, which I learned at USC. I have presented at local and national conferences, collaborated with wonderful teachers and educators, and have won a state award for technology in the classroom. I've also been named Teacher of the Year in two different schools.

         The greatest surprise came this past November when I was awarded a national Milken Educator Award. I was honored and humbled—there are thousands of teachers throughout South Carolina who continually do what's best for their students. I feel incredibly blessed to have received these honors, and I know my father and grandfather would be extremely proud of the educator I have become.

        My own two children often dream about what they want to be. Louisa is eight and dreams of becoming a writer and artist. Hayes is six and dreams of being a professional baseball player. Like my own father, I want what's best for my children. I want them to love their work and find fulfillment in their careers.

       So when they ask me about teaching, I know what I'll say. I'll tell them about the never-ending stack of papers to be graded. I'll tell them about the long hours each day and each weekend. I'll even warn them about the pay.

        But I'll also tell them about the feeling you get when you see a child grow and change. I'll show them pictures and letters of thanks from former students and parents. I'll tell them about the difference a teacher can make in a child's life. I'll tell Louisa and Hayes they can be whatever they want when they grow up—an engineer, a movie star, or a plumber. But I would love to see them become teachers, too.