The Proctors

I became a teacher by chance. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I had to go to school. I loved children and had worked as a nanny. Most of all I wanted to be a mom. My own mother suggested that I look into being a Pediatric nurse or a Kindergarten teacher.I jokingly responded that the most famous Kindergarten(Pre-school) teacher I knew at the time was Princess Diana and the most famous "nurse" Mother Teresa. I decided to give both of the a try. The Nursing School had an open house and I went there. I gave it a bit of thought, however, the thought of dealing with children that were ill and even stood a chance to die, seemed daunting. I was worried that I would get too emotionally involved.

My mom then suggested that I attend a special Early Childhood Education program and become a Kindergarten Teacher. Well, that was easier said than done. The program started every other year and one had to pass rigorous testing, which included performing several songs in front of the music teacher. Many of the "tests" went well. I especially enjoyed having to put together an impromptu lesson and teach it. That was the part I absolutely loved. The came the music test. I remember saying a prayer that went along the lines of....Lord, if thou wantst me in this program- let me pass. And then I took a leap of faith. Amazingly enough, I passed and so it began.....

Much of the two year program focused on hands-on experiences. We were in a classroom within the first few month of starting school. Music, arts and crafts, as well as philosophies of education, were some of the classes I took. My mom disliked the time I took my psychology class. She felt that I was practicing on her. I probably was! The two year course included a two week trip to the Italian coast.....I know what a sacrifice! During the 2 weeks we sang, had arts and craft classes. and, of course enjoyed the ocean and beautiful landscape.

It wasn't all easy.However, if it is all too easy one may not learn anything... .Graduation day was magical. We performed a mass written by Mozart in one of the old churches in Basel. We were accompanied by an orchestra. We sang other songs, mostly from the 15-16th century. It was awesome!

After an extended stay in the United States, I returned and worked as a substitute teacher for about a month. I was then offered a teaching position in an Inner-city Kindergarten. When I first walked into the building (in Basel Kindergarten classes had their own buildings,often near the elementary schools)- I knew it was where I belonged. I had a wonderful group of students and wonderful colleagues. My class had only 3 German speaking students. My class consisted of children from Turkey, Spain, Serbia, Slovakia, Albania and Italy. It was such a colorful and fun bunch!

Kindergarten in Switzerland was different back then. No reading was taught. It was more like a Pre-School. It included playtime, lessons- often with a monthly theme, and lots of arts and crafts and music.I remember one month where we celebrated Native Americans and each student received a new name. It was great fun!

Getting married to Todd meant moving to Utah. I was quite uncertain what I wanted to do. After learning how to drive I started my job search in earnest. I decided to look for a position in a pre-school. I knew I would have to go back to school to pursue a "career" in teaching. The first two weeks ended without a job offer. And then I met Yvonne Spencer who hired me- to work at Challenger. I worked at various Challenger schools teaching everything from a 3 year old class to Kindergarten. I loved it. During that time, Aaron was born and when he entered Kindergarten at a public school, I decided to slow down a bit. It was also a time when we desperately tried to have another child.

For the next couple of years I worked as a substitute teacher for both the Public Schools as well as for Challenger. This went on until I finally had another baby. I quit working for almost three years and returned to Challenger when an opportunity presented itself to teach Kindergarten. I taught Kindergarten and 1st grade for several years. Over time my teaching philosophies changed and much of the restrictions I experienced at Challenger were too confining.

I had known all along that in order to teach public school, I would have to go back to school and start at the very bottom. None of my transcripts were transferable. That was about the time I started looking into Western Governors University (WGU). It seemed like a perfect fit. The program was all on-line and the pace depended solely on me. And so I took another leap of faith..........

When I first enrolled at WGU, I was told that the program would take around 5 years. This included Student Teaching and several Practicums. Well, I knew I had to prove them wrong...and so I did. I worked as hard as I could- this included one semester with 36 credits. I loved it. I felt accomplished and successful. And so I finished the program in 2 1/2 years! There were some tough times for my family and I. We couldn't have done it without the ongoing support and cheering on from family and friends. Especially my parents.

My graduation took place over a year ago. How time flies! I was blessed in so many ways. One of those blessing was my Student Teaching Placement. I was placed at Daybreak Elementary in a 2nd grade classroom. My principal liked what she saw and eventually offered me a position. I am now in my second year- yes school stared at the end of July...... of teaching 4th grade. And I LOVE IT! I love the curriculum, the school. my wonderful team... but most of all- I am living my dream. My Basel Omi (my mom's mom) was such an example to me. She learned how to swim and how to speak English in her sixties. She never stopped learning. I figured if she could pursue her dreams and learning at her age- I could do the same in my 40is.

You are never too old to follow your dream. Take a leap of faith and go for it!

I love road trips. However, a road trip in Europe is something special! We went to 3 of King Ludwig's 4 castles. First we drove to Fuessen/Schwangau where Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Hohenschwangau are located. Hohenschwangau was King Ludwig's childhood home. Neuschwanstein his fantasy! He had it build in the Neo-Gothic style. Much of it was inspired by Richard Wagner's operas which were based on Germanic legends. The castle was never finished and was opened to the public a couple of months after the mysterious death of the king. The castle is amazing. One feels transported back into the time of the knights. The boys loved it and let their imagination run wild! The patron saint of the Kings of Bavaria was the dragon-slaying St. George. The boys were fascinated by the story behind this as well. Hohenschwangau was a bit less extravagant, yet still very beautiful. The castle exhibits included many photographs and bust of the royal family. Unlike Neuschwanstein it also included a small garden. Finally, the castle in Linderhof is set in a huge, beautiful park setting which includes several different buildings. They include a hunting lodge, a Moroccan House and a man-build Grotto. The castle is the only of Ludwig's that was finished. Its mirror room is amazing and one gets a sense of the eternities when standing in it. The castle was built in the Rococo style and is rather opulent. The dining room includes a table that can be lowered into the kitchen, filled with goodies and pulled back up. Wouldn't that be lovely.....