Lisa Greene
It took Lisa Greene three years to realize working in the corporate sector was not for her.
It took Lisa Greene three years to realize working in the corporate sector was not for her. “I was working as a staff accountant for an engineering company and realized that it wasn't the right career for me. While I was deciding what to do next, I was offered a fourth grade teaching position at St. Benedict Joseph Labre, a Catholic school in Queens.”
Although Lisa says she always loved children, before she was offered the teaching position, she never considered a career in education. But once she began teaching she never stopped. “Having experience working both in the business world and in the classroom, I now know what my true calling in life is. Teaching is such an important job. As a teacher, I have the power to positively affect and change the lives of children.”
Lisa’s next step was choosing the Career Change program in St. John’s School of Education. Lisa researched several graduate programs looking for a school that offered night classes, was located close to her teaching assignment in Queens, NY and accepted students without any previous background in education.
“I needed my master’s degree because I was a public accounting major in college and didn’t take any undergraduate education courses. Once I began looking for schools, St. John's became my first choice because of the Manhattan campus and the late class times which are really convenient when trying to juggle a full-time job and school.”
Watching a group of students that she taught graduate from eighth grade was one of Lisa’s proudest moments, “I was so proud of them and I felt great knowing that I played a role in getting them to that very special day in their lives.”
Her degree in education from St. John’s, in addition to her on-the-job-training as a fourth grade teacher, has guaranteed Lisa a successful future as an educator. Once she graduates, Lisa plans to teach social studies or math to grades four through six.
“The best moments are when my students tell me they love my classes and they enjoy coming to school. Education can be a very challenging and demanding field, but it is very rewarding. As long as you allow your love for the kids and your passion for teaching to show in everything you do, the students will see it and you will be successful.”
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