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As your neighborhood real estate professionals, I’ve had the opportunity to work with amazing professionals. Today I will introduce you to another local expert to provide meaningful information. I’m Mitchell Jones, and this is The Low Down on Temecula Valley Teaching.
I’m pleased to introduce my friend, Laura Walker. Laura is actually a new neighbor of mine to the Central Park community as well. Laura is a retired school teacher. And she also does a lot of work serving our community. How long have you been a resident in the Temecula Valley?
Mitchell Jones
28 years? Oh, my goodness. So you’ve seen a lot of a lot of changes? Yes, population growth way before the mall?
Mitchell Jones
Well, during your career as a teacher, what subjects did you teach? And what did you enjoy the most?
Laura Walker
I taught my multitude of subjects throughout my years, but the ones I did the most were Language Arts and Social Studies.
Laura Walker
And for a very short stint about five years I taught cooking.
Mitchell Jones
Oh, really? Oh, tell me a little bit more about that.
Laura Walker
I really enjoyed that. Because it was from six seventh and eighth graders that I I taught. And I really enjoyed it because I got the kids who sometimes weren’t successful in other areas. So I got kids who were special needs. In my class, I got kids who were here from other countries, they could all do things that maybe they couldn’t do in the academic areas, they could cook, they could measure things, they could work collaboratively with other kids. And so it was really great, because I could surface a lot of different kids. And I really, really enjoyed seeing them all be successful.
Mitchell Jones
Well, if someone were considering going into the teaching field, Laura, what what advice could you offer up for, for them to get started? Well
Laura Walker
go into teaching for different reasons. And I think some people go in for the money. I mean, it’s not the best paying job on Earth. But you know, it’s, it’s good money, it’s good benefits, and you get the summers off. So some people go into it for that reason. But as far as I’m concerned, if you’re not going into teaching, because you love it, you love imparting knowledge, you love seeing children grow because of something that you’ve done and you’ve made a difference in a life, then you shouldn’t be going into that profession at all. Going to college is something that, you know, is not that difficult to do to get a teaching credential. But if you don’t love it, don’t do it. Don’t do it. If it’s a job that’s moving you toward doing something else, and it’s a filler, because children know that they can tell when a teacher’s heart isn’t into it.
Mitchell Jones
If you had to do it all over again, is there something that you would have done differently?
Laura Walker
I don’t think so. pick the right profession. I love what I did the entire 33 years. And it’s not to say I didn’t have difficult kids and moments when it was tough. But it didn’t matter. I loved what I did right up until the very last day that I did it. And you know, they say when you get older and you look back on your life, you look back with regret, or you look back with you know, happiness, that you did the right things. And I can say that I can look back and see that I touched a lot of lives. And I’m going to go into my older years knowing that I made a difference in people’s lives and and I’ll have contentment.
Mitchell Jones
Wow, that is such a great response. You know, I my wishes that everyone in Temecula Valley could experience that and feel that passion about what they’ve done for their career. Well, you know what, you also are involved in our community. You do some volunteer work, and it involves horses. Can you elaborate a little bit more on that?
Laura Walker
Well, I don’t ride them, but my husband does. And so I got involved in Rancho California horsemen’s Association, a few years back, they needed more people on their board. And so I volunteered and I do membership. And I’m the treasurer on the board of directors. And it’s a really great organization because they fight for the trails in Temecula and Marietta Valley. There’s so many houses being built and businesses being built that we’re losing a lot of our wild areas. And so they’re dedicated to making sure that we retain as many of those as we can trails for hiking and biking and horses. And so that’s what the organization is dedicated to. And I think it’s a good cause. So I volunteer with them.
Mitchell Jones
If someone wanted to get involved in in that association, or or if they wanted to donate any resources or funding. What we’ll do at the end of this, if it’s okay with you, we’ll just flash the website on so that folks can get involved if they’d like to. Well, this has been a pleasure. And I just want to ask you one more question. You know, you obviously have amazing vast experience in teaching and amazing involvement serving in our community. But now that we’ve started back to school for the year, what advice could you offer up for parents today to set everyone up for a better success this year?
Laura Walker
What I can say about that is that parents, teachers are there to educate your children. And it should be a collaboration with you as parents, you raise your children at home, you teach them values, you teach them responsibility, you teach them respect, you teach them morals, if you do your job at home, and send them to school with those things prepared for school, then I can do my job as a teacher and educate them. And you know, of course children him you know, emulate their parents as well. So be a good role model for your child. And then your child will come to school and they’ll be kind and they’ll be respectful and they’ll be ready to learn. And then it makes my job easier and it makes it easier for the children to get along and for everything to go smoothly. So
Mitchell Jones
that’s great advice. Gosh, I am so glad I’m so grateful for this time together with you we you know life we get so busy. We don’t get enough time together as as friends. But you know, you’re just a wealth of knowledge and just a very, very dear friend, but I know what you’ve shared with us certainly is great advice that will help other members in the Temecula Valley and thank you Thanks so much and was truly a pleasure. Love you. Love you Laura.
The Low Down on Temecula Valley Teaching The Low Down on Temecula Valley Teaching The Low Down on Temecula Valley Teaching
