I began teaching in the early 1970’s. My biggest problem was credibility and my youthful appearance. I was a newbie. At one of my first Open Houses, I overheard a parent of one of my students comment that she couldn’t figure out who was the teacher. I was standing right in front of her. She thought I looked too much like a student. The parent was hesitant to have her daughter in my class; she wanted a teacher with more experience.
I resolved at that point to do something. Experience I would get by teaching more but my appearance I could change. I chose to grow a beard. more…
