A Son, an Uncle and a College Student

Every Monday and Wednesday afternoon I sit in my car on the south side of the campus quad at St. Michael's College and watch my son run across the grass on  his way to class on the north side of the quad. It doesn't matter if there is green grass showing or an inch or two of snow he always takes the same. most direct route always stopping at the same spot to retie a shoe lace. I sit and watch because I just want to share in his unbridled joy of attending a college class.

He's a student, a "sophomore" now, in Professor Doyle's class that meets in the Robotics lab. He absolutely loves the class and his fellow students and, of course, Professor Doyle. Taking classes at St. Mike's has added a major dimension to how he sees himself, to what he knows about the world as well as who he knows and socializes with.

Andrew is 23 and has Down Syndrome and is now a college student as he frequently tells me in his daily report to me of who and what he is. It always begins "I did hug Keith and Neil (two members of his favorite group, Celtic Thunder, whom he really did hug after their performance last year at the Flynn Theater in Burlington) and ends with "and I'm a college sophomore".

He takes from the class what is important to him. It's not a grade or a collection of assignments, papers or complex ideas. It's factual information about things that interest him related to the course content; facts he can recall at will in conversation and will always remember because he has a remarkable memory.  It's the interactions with his fellow class mates; listening to their stories, helping solve a robotics problem, feeling the joy of success when a project  finally works for his group.

But it's what he brings to the class that is, by all accounts, so wonderful; a boundless sense of optimism, an eternally positive outlook on life where there are no mountains too high or seas too wide. An individual challenge to each student in the class to look inside themselves and see who they really are, and then to grow in the knowledge that they have made a new friend, understood someone who thinks a little differently and, perhaps, overcome some assumptions.

Teaching Can Run in the Family

Like many other walks in life teaching can run in the family. I know many teachers whose parents were teachers and whose children are teachers. I also know many teachers who come from families where there are no other teachers too. I got into teaching because the field hockey team I played on at weekends was composed almost entirely of teachers. It was a mixed team, 6 men and 5 women players and we were called the Jackdaws. At the time I was a Quantity Surveyor but didn't really like it. So I quit my job and went off to college at 21.


There are lots of reasons why we become teachers. Some get into it because they love being around children while others want to change the world. Some like the idea of the long summer vacations while others love a particular subject such as math or english. There are those also who like the idea working with specific populations of students such as English language learners or students with special needs.

Whatever the reason, it's important to explore that reason and there's no better way than getting classroom experience in a public school on the "other side of the desk". In my case, I certainly didn't become a teacher because all teachers like field hockey, but being around teachers and hearing them talk about their jobs sewed a seed of curiosity that I followed until I had gained enough classroom experience that I knew that was what I wanted to do with my life.


That's my daughter Marie and son Andrew in the picture about 4 years ago trying to stop me from watching a St. Mike's women's basketball game. My daughter is now getting her graduate degree in special education at St. Mike's and my son works one day a week in Alliot, the college cafeteria. Although he graduated H.S. this past summer, because he has a disability, Down Syndrome, he has four more years of H.S. eligibility during which time he will work part-time jobs such as serving food at Alliot.