In the Magnet world, there exists a teacher whom we all know to be an invaluable part of the Lincoln High School Magnet experience. Some would view it as a terrible shame to not have her as a teacher. This teacher is Ms. Paulson.
After interviewing Ms. Paulson I gained a new perspective toward teaching. When Ms. Paulson was little she wanted to be a teacher, but she dropped the idea later in her life. Then she was teacher’s assistant for a while, and she LOVED IT. She loves having the opportunity to provide the support to students who were at first struggling with their ideas, but later came to an understanding because of Ms. Paulson. She also loves the intellectual sharing of ideas between the teachers and students. While there are many things she loved about teaching, there was one thing she dislikes. According to Ms. Paulson, the most painful thing to do as teacher is the grading, because she is more interested in moving forward and progressing with the students’ learning rather than being impeded by having to post the students’ progress as a grade. She believes understanding is more important than a grade.
Ms. Paulson believes the joy of teaching resembles the economy where in some years it is really pleasant, while in others it isn’t. The joy of teaching has its ups and downs, just like a piece of stock. What really helps with making the school year great is having great pupils. She reports that one year really stood out where the hard working vibe and yearning for knowledge was contagious; it had spread throughout the students. Those students had qualities of an ideal pupil. According to Ms. Paulson, the four ideal qualities of a pupil include: 1) someone who is not afraid of asking questions, 2) someone who is open to information, 3) someone who is hungry for knowledge, and 4) someone who is dependable.
The highlight for Ms. Paulson this year so far is the process of her senior seminar class. At first, students struggled in gaining knowledge on their project. However, over time it was amazing for Ms. Paulson to witness their determination and hunger for knowledge that led them to gain an understanding with their project. When this happened, Ms. Paulson acquired a sense of satisfaction because they were finally in a state of confidence and “getting it.” This understanding is the beautiful gift that teachers have to offer.
