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Learning to Teach

A recent graduate discovers what it's like to be the teacher instead of the student.

Weird and exciting were the words Anthony Kim (AB '03, history) used to describe his feelings on the first day he walked into the 7th grade classroom at Champaign's Franklin Middle School that was to be his own. Of course, he'd experienced many "first days" as a student teacher, but there was always a sense of distance as he entered someone else's classroom and enforced someone else's rules. Distance or not, he's grateful for the experience those months of student teaching gave him. He jokes that without them, "I would've been totally lost, instead of only kind of lost like I am now!"

No longer a guest in another teacher's domain, Kim is starting from scratch and rising to meet the everyday challenge of developing and executing his own teaching strategies and lesson plans. As the weeks go by, he's slowly finding his way and is surprised to discover that the most important lesson he teaches daily is not so much the subject, but teaching his students how to behave in the classroom; it doesn't matter how interesting the lesson plan is if the class isn't listening to it. He's also discovered that being the "guy in charge" leaves him with very little free time. Plans he had months ago of running the Chicago Marathon are on hold for another year as he puts all his energy into planning for the next Monday instead.

As an undergraduate, Kim was a James Scholar, participated in the campus honors program throughout his four years, served on the honors student council his senior year, and was a member of the Illini Runners club. Though he loves teaching, he says that at some point in the future he may reenter student life and work toward a PhD in educational policy studies.

By Kate Skozinsk, a senior in LAS who is majoring in English and Pre Law
October 2003