My Rewards from Teaching

Two of my part time jobs involve teaching. For one, I teach an after school science program to K-2 students. For the other, I tutor high schools students for the SAT/ACT college entrance tests. Although coaching was not one of my strengths as a manager, I have enjoyed being a teacher. Here are some reasons:

Personal Learning - Although I am knowledgeable about the topics I teach, I find there are elements that are new to me. Some of the elements I've forgotten, or may have never learned. Others elements are new since I've finished my formal education. What ever the reason, the new found knowledge is helping me improve my skills, both in teaching and in other areas.

When I was coaching others at work, I didn't feel that I learned anything new that would directly help me.

Making a Difference - I'm helping students. For K-2, I have a lot of students interested in becoming a scientist. I help make learning science fun and keep them interested. For the high school students, I enjoy helping them understand concepts which have been difficult for them to learn in class. In addition, I find great satisfaction is identifying opportunities that help them improve their test scores.

At work, I found many employees were unwilling to use and benefit from the coaching tips that I provided.

While I have no interest in becoming a certified teacher, I plan to continue doing these teaching jobs for personal development and personal satisfaction reasons. In addition, I've volunteered to teach a personal finance seminar at my church this fall.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial or career advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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