I am currently a special education teacher... and I LOVE it! I could not imagine being anything else.

However, as a kid, I never once mentioned teacher as a possible career. In fact, I hated school and was a HUGE troublemaker in high school. I made it my sworn duty to give my teachers as much grief as possible (usually in a playful but extremely annoying way).

My oldest recollection (from when I was around 10) of how I would answer the "when you grow up..." question was with the response "a veterinarian!"

There were a few problems with that answer. I didn't have any pets, I had never had any pets... and I was pretty scared of all animals. When I was seven, a giant Husky jumped up on me and scratched the white part of my eyeball. I still remember the red mark it left on my eyeball. So yeah... I didn't like animals very much.

To be honest, my reaction to a bunny would be exactly like this as well.

But "veterinarian" sounded like a cool answer at the time. Plus it was the same answer my older sister gave. I guess I figured that if I got on her good side, one day when she was forcing me to play Barbie Queen of the Prom, she wouldn't cheat and make me go with Poindexter to the Prom (true story).

It did not work.

I hate you Poindexter!!!!

As I grew older, I changed my answer to "pilot"... just like every other boy who saw Top Gun when he was 13. I even started getting information about the Air Force Academy. This plan had some flaws as well. I had terrible eyesight... and I didn't really want to put any effort into High School. Those were two pretty important factors in getting accepted to The Air Force Academy... go figure. So that wasn't going to happen.

Shortly after discovering I wasn't quite Academy material, I decided I would go into aviation business management. I assure you this had nothing to do with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University being located in Daytona Beach, Florida.

I swear!!

College is going to be like this every day!!! No it's not.

No I don't. That is a complete lie. 17 year old me made the very mature decision of choosing a career based 100% on the location of the college. Luckily that only lasted for one year.

I can't imagine being in management. It is not because I am some rebel and can't stand "management". It is because I CANNOT FREAKING SIT STILL TO SAVE MY LIFE!

I have ADHD. I am sure this is part of the reason I was such a problem in school. But back then, they did not call it "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder". They called it "being a jackass". Which is what I was/am.

As a teacher, I never sit still. I am constantly moving and engaged. Some people think ADHD means you can't pay attention. However, the exact opposite is true. People with ADHD pay attention to EVERYTHING. This ability is a tremendous asset as a special educator. My kids constantly need help with 1 million different things all at once. Because I can focus on many different things at once, I am able to meet all of their needs (most of the time).

There is more to the story of how I became a teacher. But that is not what this post is about. Today I want to hear from all of you.

When you were a kid, what did you tell people you wanted to be when you grew up? Did you come close?

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