The teaching profession is one that becomes influential in students’ lives, inspiring and motivating them to achieve their potential. If there’s one person who knows this, it’s Mr. Shannon Lane. Mr. Lane teaches AP European History and US History. He’s been teaching at Selma High for 27 years. Mr. Lane has overcome many of his struggles and was able to become an educator.  

 Mr. Lane, like many students today, used to struggle with school, English in particular. He needed assistance and found it. 

“My wife really helped me to become a better writer,” mentions Lane. 

You may think that in order to be a successful teacher you are to be the top student in your class and have a 4.5 GPA. But even Mr Lane expresses that he was not a straight A student. 

In order to better understand what he struggled in, he asked his instructors for help and started taking their advice seriously. Putting your mind into what you wish to achieve and truly following your dreams also calls for many sacrifices. 

“It wasn’t easy, but I wanted to do well,”expresses Lane.

His wife motivated him greatly to do his best to reach his goals. 

Like many, he struggled with choosing a profession. His first initial interest was being a musician, having second thoughts, he thought about being a Certified Public Accountant. It was after this time of indecisiveness that he  decided to be a History professor. At last, after he served as a substitute teacher in elementary, middle and high schools, he finally put his mind into becoming a high school teacher. Being a teacher is not only about being in the classroom and giving students work. Although every teacher is different, it’s no secret that teachers have to think ahead of time so they come to school ready to teach in order to have a successful week.

“Everything is planned and synchronized. At the end of the day, I will re-evaluate what worked and what did not,” explains Lane. 

An educator’s biggest goal would be to see their students grow and flourish into successful long-time adults. Lane, like many teachers, hopes to have his students learn new things and be responsible for their learning and keep encouraging them to their best. He hopes that he will always have a positive impact on his students. He shares that he enjoys students learning what he took so long to get students to understand and learn.

“Some of my best moments in class are when I see students starting to comprehend the material and start making the connections,” voiced Lane. 

Six tips that Mr Lane has for anyone wanting to become a teacher are: 1.  Stay positive and motivated, 2. Learn how to listen and take notes, 3.  Be organized and don’t procrastinate, 4. Be sure that you comprehend what you are reading, 5.  Keep telling yourself that you can accomplish your goal, 6. Be sure to get plenty of rest.

While being a teacher seems to scarily be the only thing educators do, they also have to live their normal, social lives. Having kids, friends, and family can be hard to connect to while being an educator. 

“I try to compartmentalize my job and my personal life,” adds Mr. Lane. 

Although there are many professions around the world, there’s nothing like being a teacher. Teachers have the most important jobs as they have to educate their students to become the best possible, and are in charge of the next generation of workers. They serve a very important role in our lives and are very unappreciated for it. You have to be a very determined person for this job. All of us are different but if we have one thing in common, is that we all have to find our Lane to success.