This morning, Charlotte sat before her examining committee.  She was to demonstrate for the committee that she had not only learned the substantive lessons from her graduate program, but had and would competently apply those lessons in her professional practice as a teacher.  As she began her confident, informed and enthusiastic responses, my mind wandered back to the Fall 2008. It was Charlotte’s first semester at the University of Georgia.

After completing a degree in recreation management, Charlotte took a position in “Corporate America’” as she described it.  After 6 years of grinding out an unrewarding, but well paying, daily routine, Charlotte made the decision to change her horizons.  She was going to look at life a different way.  That change included finding work that at the end of the day would make her feel that she had done something meaningful; that on this day she had made a difference in this world. She resigned her position and entered our teacher education program.  In August 2008, she came to University of Georgia to pursue a new direction in her life.

As anyone can imagine, such decisions are never easy, nor ever made with complete confidence.  There are a great many ‘what ifs’ and unknowns.  When Charlotte came into my office for academic advising that semester, the woman before me had a great many more questions than she had answers.  It was clear, however, that she had courage.  That was easy to see.

When the semester was drawing to a close, Charlotte returned to my office to collect advice on what to do in the ensuing semester.  We talked, and she confessed she “just wasn’t sure this was the right field for her.”  Fair enough.  If you want to explore teaching, it isn’t best done by sitting in a University classroom. So, we did something a bit unorthodox: we made arrangements with a local teacher, Pauly, to take Charlotte under her wing and let her try her hand at teaching.  There are some lessons only experience can teach.

In her time with Pauly, Charlotte found that she indeed was walking toward the horizon of new promise.  She returned to the classroom, finished her degree requirements, and as of this writing was just a few weeks short completing her student teaching and walking the stage at commencement to receive her masters degree.  She will then begin working teaching children in public schools.

As I listened to Charlotte continue to competently and confidently field the questions her examining committee put to her, I couldn’t help think of all the people who might be inspired by the story of this young woman of uncommon courage.  How many people feel trapped by their circumstances, but cannot find the mettle to make a move–to change the direction of their life to new and more satisfying horizons?  As the examination concluded, I congratulated Charlotte on her success and asked her “Your decision to become a teacher was the right decision after all, wasn’t it?”  Through a brilliantly bright smile she replied “Yes it was!”

About the Author – Paul G. Schempp

Dr. Schempp, president of Performance Matters, Inc., is a professional speaker, coach and consultant. Paul has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of research, teaching and professional development. Individuals and organizations in business, education and sport have elevated their expertise and achieved exceptional performance by working with Dr. Schempp.