Tag: education

a wannabe who teaches Zumba

15337585_765892306894419_6957963957972303476_n
What kind of pose is this?

Once upon a time in 2009, I went to my first Zumba class. I loved it. It got me out of the house, I met some great people and built friendships that are still in tack. Matter of fact, my instructor give me a penny bank with some cash to help pay for my Zumba license to become an instructor. In 2012 I finally went to the training and began teaching at my local YMCA.

11182659_10205173522115206_5273096105356920452_o.jpg

I love Zumba so much that I only teach ONE class, so I never get burned out.  Even when I chose to put the kids in school and begin working again, I wanted to keep Zumba sacred and not make it my part-time job.

21740543_10214454420978757_4787637318540273328_n
Danny’z Fitness and Travieso 2017

I blew the dust off my dream of being a teacher and enrolled into grad school.

All my teacher friends who come to my class have encouraged me in my pursuit.  I go to them for wisdom, support and to vent about school.  It inspires me to see them in class.  They are my motivators.

When I’m up front shaking it, I look at them and think, they are who I want to be.

I want to teach!

In 2006 I graduated from California Baptist University with a bachelor in History. I got the degree, but it was not where I imagined I’d be when I graduated from high school. I attended Hampton University in Virginia my freshman and sophomore year of college. Initially, my major was Business, because that is what my mom wanted. After going to a business class once and looking at the required courses…I was like, NO. AND they wanted us to play chess? So I decided to become a teacher and entered their 5 year Education program where I would get my BA, MA and teaching credential. BET! My mom was not having it, but hey it’s my life. We couldn’t afford it but I’m thinking, this is a deal and I can do my HBCU thing. 3rd year, financial aid did not go through, and I was STUCK in Virginia not knowing what to do. So with the little cash I had to make the initial payment, I caught a plane to Georgia to stay with my Nana until I figured things out.

Fast forward 10 years after college and I’m a married stay at home mom living in the Midwest, homeschooling my 7-year-old daughter while my son’s at the neighborhood school in Kindergarten.

After one Midwest winter homeschooling, I’m like dude, totally not made for this.

I had a crisis and decided both kids are going to PUBLIC SCHOOL. Private school is ridiculously expensive, and I’m not giving them my money (I mean OUR money) to teach them the 3 R’s. So what am I going to do at home with kids in school? I cannot be posted in the crib looking around at my immaculately clean house. I don’t want a desk job doing admin. I don’t want to teach fitness part time. So I decided to do what I never thought I would want to do. Go back to school.

So I’m now almost halfway through this program; Masters in Secondary Education and Teaching Credential. I want to teach high school history. I know you’re like, history is boring. But I love it, and I know I can make it fun. I want to teach jaded teens history.

Am I crazy? Maybe. But I know I’m made for this and much much more.