Mark Donaldson

Background

About Mark Donaldson

I have been a substitute teacher for the past three years. During that time, I have had the opportunity to lead numerous different classrooms in as many disciplines. Each day is a new experience, as I am rarely in the same building more than two days a week and never with the same age group of students. This experience has afforded me the opportunity to not only hone my craft, but it has given me exposure to perspective employers, as I hope to make teaching my permanent life’s work. My strengths include patience, flexibility, tolerance, and understanding, all of which, have been tested in the classroom. The biggest adjustment that I have had to make in shifting to the other side of the teacher’s desk is learning to look at education from another angle. No longer could I sit in the classroom for myself, I am now the one needing to be forthcoming with the relevant information. As I have my certification in secondary education, I have split my teaching from sixth through twelfth grades and very quickly realized the attitude difference across the spectrum. Students across the grade levels are decidedly different in their understanding and their thought processes. Though the information may be the same, in an American History class, different grade levels need the same information presented differently. In the brief time that I have been a substitute, the most rewarding part has been recognition. Not so much as in a job well done, but rather familiar recognition. When I walk into a school building that I have become familiar with, I see teachers and students who recognize me. Familiarity makes the day go by a whole lot faster. Aside from teaching the confines of a classroom, I have worked as summer camp counselor, giving me yet another opportunity to work with young people. This was a great experience in teamwork with other counselors, who faced similar challenges of patience, flexibility and tolerance.