Doug Wooton

DOUG WOOTON
5th Grade
29 years of experience 

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Excerpt from Teacher of the Year application

To me, teaching is important because: 
Teaching is important because it is a way to affect real change on history. There is a proverb that states: “To teach is to touch lives forever.” I believe that. I also believe that if I have a positive influence on another person, there is no telling where that influence might end. That positive influence is like a message in a bottle. It is a message of hope and the bottle is opened and resent and reopened innumerable times as it pushes into the future. Another analogy that comes to mind is the idea that the flick of a butterfly’s wing could set into motion the events leading to a powerful hurricane. That is why I think it is so imperative to impart the best of what I have to offer to my students. One small kindness could make a huge impact in the future. Everything counts.

Teaching is also important to me because it is a way I can give back what has been given to me. In my own education, my teachers worked hard to give me a strong, sound education that would enable me to choose a career math that met my passions. When I left high school, I left with skills that allowed me to feel confident in any vocational pursuit I chose. I had the confidence and skills to journey toward several career paths that included construction work, truck driving, hotel and hospitality service, etc. Though all these experiences were within the scope of my training, I never lost sight of what I really always wanted to do and that was to be a teacher. My education gave me the power to choose my vocation and I have never been stuck in a job I dislike my entire life. For that, I am thoroughly indebted to those who led me in my education. What I want to give to my students is that power of choice to work the vocation they love and live a fulfilling life.