Teacher Feature - Fred Walden (MCES)

"Why I Love Teaching"

I love my job for several reasons. First of all, I have met so many great people over the years. I still see many of them from each of my teaching years. I love hearing updates from former students. Next, our profession is a unique one. There are so many ways to do our job, making it possible to do the job in new and exciting ways. Thanks to the support and philosophy of Spencer-Owen Schools, I have been allowed to try things in the name of teaching, that may be a little unconventional. This has allowed me to add things to teaching that makes it enjoyable. I never dreamed as a preservice teacher that I would be able add tarantulas, snakes, turtles, and other creatures to a classroom to make it more interesting for kids. My students and I have also been allowed to take several unusual trips over the years. We have explored Lake Monroe and Lake Michigan. We have zipped through Louisville’s Mega Caverns. We have cruised down the Ohio River, just to name a few. A supportive school system, great students, and the many opportunities for creative ways to teach are what make me love teaching. As a kid, I mulled over several career choices. Many of these choices offer better pay. However, I knew I wanted to be a teacher the whole time. After 32 years, I’m not sorry I made that choice.