Describe a memorable teacher you have had. How was he/she special for you?

I've had many great teachers, but my first memorable instructor was my fifth grade teacher, Mr. Hazelwood. Mr. Hazelwood was my first male teacher, and he had a great impact on me, in part because of what he taught me about the world, but mostly because of what he taught me about myself.
I liked Mr. Hazelwood from the first day. He was not young, but he was cool. Unlike my previous teachers, he didn't have to prove himself, make demands, or threaten his students to maintain order; he didn't treat us like children. In Mr. Hazelwood's class I felt like I was respected, and I wanted to give him back the same respect. I remember being so amazed the first time he stood up and walked out of class without warning. We were working, and most of the kids didn't notice, but even when they did, no one started any trouble. I think everyone felt like I did, that this teacher expected us to behave, and so we did.
Mr. Hazelwood always made me feel smart and special. We would be doing something in class, and he would call me back to his desk and tell me some interesting fact or story that wasn't part of the regular lesson. I felt like he was letting me in on some secret. In retrospect, he probably did this with all of his students, but at the time it seemed like I was getting special treatment, and I learned to think much more positively about myself and my abilities as a student.
And we learned cool stuff. We watched history and science films on those ancient reel to reel projectors. We built bridges with Popsicle sticks. We took batteries, steel wool, and insulated wire outside and made fire. Then of course there was sex ed. "This guy knows everything," I thought, sitting attentively in the front row. He got me into a special math class, and twice a week I would go to the cafeteria with one other kid and some sixth graders to study algebra and trigonometry. With just a little encouragement, it seemed like there was nothing I couldn't do.
My favorite time in Hazelwoods class though was after lunch. We would all come in sweaty and tired from the playground, and he would stand in the back of the class, his elbow resting on his file cabinet by his desk, and read to us for twenty minutes or so. Everyone was silent. It was great to hear his voice. In that year we heard the entire Chronicles of Narnia and several other books. I fell in love with reading, a gift that has stayed with me forever.
One time some cool looking high school kids came by our class. They stopped in just to say hello to Mr. Hazelwood. He greeted them like friends and talked to them for a while. I remember thinking, when I'm old and in high school, I'll come back to Mr. Hazelwood's class and thank him for being such a great teacher, but I never got the chance. I moved away in the ninth grade and never saw him again. Thanks Mr. Hazelwood, you were a great teacher.

What makes you happy? What can you do to bring more happiness to your life?

There are many things which make me happy, such as receiving an unexpected gift, seeing something amazing or beautiful for the first time, acheiving a goal, or getting a kind word or compliment from a friend or loved one, but I would have to argue that the greatest feeling of happiness is the feeling that comes from doing something for someone else. Making a difference in another person's life generates a sense of happiness that is more genuine and long-lasting than any other kind of satisfaction that I know.
In our society, it is really easy to get caught up in material things. We are so bombarded with advertisements and social pressures, and they all send the continual message that we need buy or have the next great thing in order to feel good, happy, or just normal. So many people seem to believe that you need to be rich or beautiful in order to be successful and happy in our world. This is really unfortunate.
In order to bring more happiness into my life I need to constantly remind myself what truely makes me happy and to remember that endlessly chasing after my desires is a hopeless pursuit for the wrong kind of happiness. True happiness is not what you get for yourself, but what you give to others. I think that if I can perform more unselfish acts towards others and do more to make others happy then I will be a much happier person myself.

Describe your dream job

Like a lot of people, it is really hard for me to say exactly what my dream job is. I have many interests, and it would be hard to find one thing that could satisfy all of them. Perhaps this is why I have found teaching to be such a great fit for me.
There are many positives to being a teacher. Most teachers like their jobs because they get to make a difference in the lives of thier students and to share their enthusiasm for something that they love. I agree with these things, but I also like teaching because it allows me to work independently and to get to know a lot of different people. As a writing teacher, I often get to learn so much about my students through their assignments, and I am constantly amazed by how much diversity and experience there is in each class. I often feel like I learn as much or more from my students as they learn from me.
Teaching will never make me rich in a financial sense, but it has many benefits that are hard to find in other professions. I like that each day is different, and I'm not tied to an office or an 8-5 work schedule. Of course one of the biggest perks for me is the time off! I truely value my free time, and I love to travel. Teaching definitely gives me opportuntites that I wouldn't get from most other professions.