Published: February 20, 2007

The Rarest of Teachers

As part of a new partnership, teachermagazine.org is publishing this regular column by members of the Teacher Leaders Network , a professional community of accomplished educators dedicated to sharing ideas and expanding the influence of teachers.

I have always felt that stories are an intricate part of how people live and interpret their lives. Having good stories to tell is part of why I became a preschool teacher. Being a guy with National Certification in early childhood education just adds some extra spice.

It is not uncommon to hear young teachers say they grew up wanting to teach—perhaps influenced by a great teacher they had early in their life. All too often this story ends with young teachers deciding to leave the profession in their first five years. My story is different. I really backed into teaching, and perhaps that's why I've stayed. I do know that teaching...