When long term substitute Mike Curry was in high school, teaching was the last possible thing he expected to be doing.
“It was the last thing from my mind in high school. I was a knucklehead,” said Curry. “I wanted to be a cop or do something in law enforcement.
The first indication that teaching may have been the job for him came in the military. That was where Curry held his first leadership position, and he realized it felt good to be in charge and be responsible for others.
Despite this knowledge, Curry worked in real estate for two years before getting into teaching. “I didn’t feel good about real estate,” he admitted. “I wasn’t happy going to work every day.”
Finally, after two years he was done. Fortunately, he had some friends who were teachers who gave him a lot of positive feedback. He decided to give it a try, and it has been a great fit.
“I love getting up every morning to teach,” he said.
Every day for the past two years here at BHS, Mr. Curry has given his students a wealth of information based on what they are learning, but these facts are far from the most important thing to him. “It’s great to build relationships and have a connection with the kids,” he exclaimed. “It’s very rewarding to watch the progress that they have made.”
His love for teaching is evident, but life as a long term substitute can be a very difficult one.
“The biggest thing is you have no time to prepare. I got this job only three days before I had to start teaching the class,” said Curry.”It’s a big time commitment to stay up to date with the lessons.”
Even with this difficult job Curry still loves to teach. In the future he plans to become a full- time teacher at the high school level. Buffalo High School would be his first choice.
