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>> MY TEACHING EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO BEING HERE AT GRCC
WAS IN GRADES 6 THROUGH 12 AT A VARIETY OF SCHOOLS,
AND I TAUGHT STUDENTS WHO WERE MANY OF THEM AT RISK STUDENTS,
MANY OF THEM WERE UNPREPARED, MANY OF THEM HAD OBSTACLES
THAT STOOD IN THEIR WAY.
>> I'VE SORTA TAUGHT EVERYWHERE YOU COULD IMAGINE--
COLLEGES AND HIGH SCHOOLS AND CATHOLIC SCHOOL.
I MEAN, JUST ABOUT ANYTHING YOU COULD SORT OF MENTION.
>> I WAS TEACHING OVERSEAS FOR A YEAR.
FLEW FROM LITHUANIA TO DO THE ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEW, BUT REALLY,
I TAUGHT HIGH SCHOOL FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS BEFORE THAT
AND COLLEGE BEFORE THAT,
AND I FEEL LIKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
IS SORT OF A PERFECT FIT FOR ME.
>> I WORKED AT MANY NONPROFIT AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY
AS A THERAPIST,
AND WORKED PRIMARILY WITH FAMILIES OF TEENAGERS
THAT WERE DRUG ADDICTED,
AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN MORE OF THAT THERAPEUTIC SETTING.
>> I LOVE TEACHING ENGLISH IN PART
BECAUSE IT CHALLENGES STUDENTS NOT ONLY TO WORK ON SOMETHING
A LOT OF US STRUGGLE WITH,
EXPRESSING THEMSELVES MORE CLEARLY,
BUT I THINK IT CHALLENGES THEM TO THINK ABOUT THEIR LIVES
AND TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THEIR LIVES,
AND I THINK IT GIVES MUCH MORE
THAN JUST A BASIC SKILL FOR LIFE.
>> WELL, I'M IN MUSIC.
I THINK MUSIC IS ONE OF THOSE DISCIPLINES THAT IS REALLY--
BECAUSE OF ITS ENTERTAINMENT VALUE,
PEOPLE REALLY DON'T GET WHAT IT CAN DO,
WHAT IT TEACHES THEM IN TERMS OF FOCUS AND THEIR BRAIN TRAINING,
AND IT'S REVOLUTIONIZED MY LIFE. (choral singing)
I DON'T THINK I WOULD'VE TURNED OUT ANYWHERE THE WAY I HAVE
WERE IT NOT FOR BEING INVOLVED IN THAT DISCIPLINE.
>> THE STUDENTS I HAVE-- I TEACH DEVELOPMENTAL ED,
AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE WORKING WITH THOSE
WHO SOMETIMES FIND IT DIFFICULT,
STUDENTS WHO HAVE HAD OBSTACLES COME IN THEIR WAY
THAT PERHAPS HAS DELAYED THEIR EDUCATION,
AND THEY'RE RETURNING.
WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE,
BUT I LOVE COMING ALONGSIDE OF THEM AND GUIDING THEM
AND TEACHING THEM AND MENTORING THEM TO EXPERIENCE THE SUCCESS
THAT THEY SO NEED TO FEEL
AND SO WANT TO FEEL IN THEIR LIFE.
>> I HAVE LITERALLY SAID, "I CANNOT BELIEVE
"I GET PAID TO TEACH."
I'M NOT KIDDING-- I'VE SAID THAT MANY TIMES.
I FEEL THAT'S WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BE SOMETIMES,
IN FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM.
I LOVE WORKING ONE-ON-ONE WITH STUDENTS,
BUT I ALSO LIKE HAVING THEM TOGETHER AS A GROUP
AND HELPING THEM LEARN AND GROW AS A COUNSELOR,
AND HELPING THEM LEARN AND GROW AS AN EDUCATOR,
AND THE PROCESS OF WATCHING STUDENTS LEARN
IS PRETTY AMAZING.
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>> I THINK I SEE THE STUDENTS IN THE PAST
WHO PERHAPS WERE IN SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY HAD TO BE THERE.
AND YET, WHEN I SEE THAT GRCC STUDENTS HERE, THEY HAVE--
THEY WANT TO OWN THEIR EDUCATION, THEY WANT TO DO WELL.
THEY KNOW THAT THEY WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING OF THEIR LIFE
AND TO ENJOY THEIR EDUCATION,
AND TO REALLY PURSUE IT SO THAT THEY CAN BECOME BETTER CITIZENS
IN THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY LIVE.
>> I WOULD AGREE WITH SHERYL WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE GRCC STUDENTS I KNOW
AND HAVE WORKED WITH CLOSELY,
AND EVEN THE ONES I HAVEN'T WORKED WITH THAT CLOSELY,
THERE IS NOT A SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT AMONG THESE STUDENTS,
AND I REALLY LIKE THAT.
THEY SORT OF SHOW UP WITH THEIR LUNCH BAG EVERY DAY
AND THEY'RE READY TO GO TO WORK,
AND THEY GIVE IT A SERIOUS EFFORT.
>> I STARTED OFF IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE
IN SAGINAW MICHIGAN DELTA.
I DON'T THINK I BROUGHT MY PERSONALITY TO THE CLASSROOM
AS A STUDENT,
AND STUDENTS AT GRCC BRING THEIR PERSONALITIES TO THE CLASSROOM,
THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
AND IT'S FUN!
IT'S MORE ENGAGING, IT HELPS A CLASSROOM BE MORE DYNAMIC,
AND I'VE JUST HAD VERY INTERESTING EXPERIENCES
WHERE STUDENTS FELT VERY FREE TO EXPRESS THEIR NEW IDENTITY
AS A COLLEGE STUDENT.
>> AND I LOVE THAT SENSE OF STUDENTS HERE REINVENTING THEMSELVES
AND TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY THAT GRCC OFFERS.
IT REMINDS ME, ACTUALLY, A LOT OF THE STUDENTS I TAUGHT OVERSEAS
WHO WERE, IN MANY CASES,
ESCAPING PRETTY TOUGH BACKGROUNDS
AND SEIZING THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY THEY COULD FIND
TO RESHAPE THEIR LIVES, TO REINVENT THEMSELVES,
AND REALLY FIND A NEW DIRECTION FOR THEIR LIVES.
THAT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT STUDENTS HERE.
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>> I THINK THAT AT GRCC, WE DO SO MUCH MORE
FOR OUR STUDENTS TO HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL.
WE HAVE AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE STUDENTS
THAT TYPICALLY DROP OUT, AND TAKE THEM TO A PLACE
THEY NEVER IMAGINED THEY WOULD BE.
>> COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE--
WE HAVE OUR FINGER IN THE ***, YOU KNOW?
BECAUSE THERE'S THIS WHOLE TSUNAMI OF YOUNG PEOPLE
AND OLDER FOLKS, TOO,
WHO ARE SIMPLY NOT GOING TO BE ABLE
TO GET AN EDUCATION IF IT'S NOT FOR US.
THIS HAS A WHOLE DIFFERENT REASON FOR BEING
THAT I FEEL REALLY EXCITED ABOUT,
THAT I DIDN'T HAVE WHEN I TAUGHT AT A FOUR YEAR SCHOOL.
>> I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW LUCKY I AM TO WORK IN A PROGRAM
IN WHICH I DO.
AND WE, I THINK AS FACULTY AND STAFF AT GRCC,
WE DO A PHENOMENAL JOB HELPING STUDENTS GET FROM "A" TO "B"
THAT THEY COULD NOT GO ALONE,
THAT THEY ARE TERRIFIED TO DO ALONE.
THAT'S GRCC.
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