ANGUS FREDENBURG

If you want to know more about anything I write or simply can’t believe how enthusiastic I am about Louisville and Teach Kentucky, please write me an email and I will go on and on and on and on. If you’re even slightly thinking about teaching next year contact me. I graduated last May from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and two weeks later found myself in Louisville, Kentucky. All my friends wanted to know why, and what the hell was I doing in Louisville? I told them enthusiastically, “Teach Kentucky!” Now I’ll get into all the philosophical stuff.

I choose to teach because I want to make a difference in the lives of others immediately. I realize there are thousands of ways to serve others, but teaching is what I am best equipped to do at this point in my life, and middle school teachers are badly needed here. Middle school kids everywhere, not just in Kentucky, are at a critical juncture in their lives. It is when many of them will decide whether school is important to them, or simply a mind numbing experience that they have to sit through because their parents make them. I don’t kid myself into thinking that the content I teach them in seventh grade social studies will make or break my students’ futures. However, I do know that I can help my students realize that education is something to value and school is a place they want to be. If I can make school a fun, safe, and interesting place to be, this will make an immense difference in their lives immediately and in the future.

Teach Kentucky gave me a chance to make a difference in my students’ lives, and I am grateful. I thought about Teach for America but when I compared it to TKY, I felt that TKY was a much better fit for me. With Teach Kentucky I knew I was going to be in Louisville, which I knew I liked (the program flies you to Louisville sometime during the winter, which is sweeeet!). I also was impressed with the support network TKY offered. Mentors in the community are set up for you formally, but there are informal mentors all over the place. I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support and welcome I received and am still receiving.

In summary, I have not been disappointed with Louisville, Shelby West Middle School, or teach Kentucky. Please email me if you want to know more. I really believe in what I’m doing here and really believe in Teach Kentucky!