Teaching has given me opportunities that others might not have. One of my favorite was serving as an exhibit interpreter for the Imperial Tombs of China at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in the mid 1990s. It seized on my desire to learn anything I can. We had to go through classes on weekends about dozens of exhibits. The training was very extensive and we had to pass a difficult test before we were allowed to work the exhibition. If people did not pass the test with a 90% they could work at the gift shop or tickets but not to be inside displays. I was the Saturday and Sunday expert on the Terracotta Soldiers and the technique of lost-wax casting. It highlights the value I have always placed on continued learning. I am in year thirty and I have bought four or five professional development books for my discipline in the last few weeks. I recommend to any new teacher, “If you ever reach a point where you think you know everything about your content or teaching – please get out of the profession because you are doing a disservice to your students.” I am ending the week on something fun and in celebration of learning. This position also gave me a lead into transitioning to the Gates Planetarium staff after the Imperial Tombs of China closed. I spent another three years in the museum as a paid employee and lecturer in astronomy on the weekends. All of the training and added learning enhanced what I am able to do in the classroom. I look forward to learning more after I retire and continue to develop.
