Who Am I and Why Am I Here

My name is Trent Baker and I am a senior at Lyon College majoring in English with a minor in Philosophy.  I have an interest in teaching English as a foreign language in Japan. 

Foreign language is an important part of any student’s college experience, but choosing Japanese was more of a personal decision for me.  Before attending Lyon I met a Japanese language student that attended Lyon who made a huge impression on me.  That student’s name was Josh Looney.  He was an English major but took Japanese as his foreign language while studying at Lyon.  I would talk with him at the coffee shop where I worked while he did his Japanese homework and I was thoroughly impressed with his retention of a language that looked so foreign to me.  After talking with him on and off throughout the school year he shared with me his future plans to teach English in Japan as a foreign language.  The idea of education, travel, adventure, and exploration intrigued me.  After meeting Josh, I decided to follow in his footsteps, not only by going to Lyon, but also in attempting to learn the language and culture of Japan in hopes of teaching there after graduation. 

Since being at Lyon, I took Japanese 101 and flippantly applied myself, not fully grasping an understanding of  language nor culture.  Then after a devastating house fire I had to drop Japanese 102 because the course load was too much for me to handle; I was bound for failure.  It was only after a Nichol’s trip to Japan this summer that my interest in previous goals was once again solidified.  I want a genuine understanding of the religion, culture, and language and am determined to apply myself in hopes of success in not only the language classes but also in my endeavors to teach in a country whose people I am extremely interested in. 

Why Tonya is who she is

I have always wanted to be a teacher.  I remember teaching my teddy bears and stuffed animals when I was in elementary school.  I also set up a horse riding class in high school.

My passion was science.  I wanted to be a biology teacher right up until Dr. Thomas showed me all the math involved in being a science major.  Not knowing what to do my concentration in, I chose the discipline that would only take me four years to complete.  So, here I am, an English major. 

During my past three years, Dr. Tebbetts and Dr. Boling has influenced me the most.  I learned I could write professionally through Dr. Tebbetts.  I learned I had a love for Shakespeare through Dr. Boling.  If I decide to specialize in an English subject, it would be Shakespeare.  I am excited the Common Core has a section on Shakespeare.  My current co-teacher has already told me she wants me to teach that section.

I plan to get my masters in something, but I haven't decided if it will be in English or teaching.  Maybe I will master both.  I eventually want to teach English in a 2-year college or community college or become a principal of a school.

I look forward to learning everything I can from Mrs. Gillmore.  She is so knowledgeable and has so much to teach us.

Why I Am Who I Am

First, welcome Jon-Micael, Tonya, and Wesley to the class and to this blog!
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Many people should be thanked for their assistance in my becoming who I am right now in my career, for as Hillary Clinton's book persuades...just as it takes a village to raise a child, so it takes a conglomerate of individuals to build a twenty-one year career.

First, to my high school English teacher Mrs. Smith, my heroine, absolutely without a doubt, I would not be an English teacher had it not been for the example she sat every day of every week.  She worked us, holding us to higher expectations than most of us wanted, yet she loved us, and we knew it.  

Second, to my college instructors Dr. Tebbetts and Dr. Wray...one being the extreme, energized, definitely a sage on the stage of my life, the other, solid, direct, forcing our writing styles to become what they were not. Because of them, I inherited a much more solid literary background, one recognized when I later attended grad school and was told that I must have graduated from Lyon (or some high quality program) because of the caliber of my work.  Yes, I stood a little taller!  Thank you, Dr. Tebbetts, Dr. Wray...and the late Dr. Oliver.

Third, to my peer Lisa Huff who shared her love of technology as a tool, which then began the big change in my presentation methods.  This blog (and several others) and multiple wikis are a testament to her. Professionally, I have grown and now freely assist my peers as they take baby steps, steps that, to them, feel like giant leaps at times, all in an endeavor to better prepare all our students for the "real" world or, as the latest jargon encourages, to be "college and career ready."

Many more names should be mentioned here, for I have many to thank for the gift of my career, for without them all, I would not be who I am today.