How Julie Became Successful Without Even Trying

(Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes)

Julie Angelos is an American living in Italy, a journalist, a writer, and a recently converted blogger. Julie stopped by Website In A Weekend a while back, told a story about a shark, and I immediately knew I had to recruit her as a guest author! Julie writes in an easy, yet intimate style. I hope you enjoy her writing as much as I do.

How I Became Successful Without Even Trying

-by Julie Angelos

If we can all agree that we got here now today thanks to the support of friends and loved ones, I think we can also agree that it is also thanks to people who have motivated us. Especially our teachers.

One of my favorite teachers – to whom I’m grateful for motivation – is Mr. Phil McGreevy. Here’s why. When I started high school, I was told there was an experimental math class taught by Mr. McGreevy where ‘bright’ students were going to be experimented on.

Like lab rats.

I still consider myself to be lucky that I was chosen to be in Mr McGreevy’s class, because the 24 of us had the honor of having the same students with the same teacher for the four years of high school.

Consistency, Relevancy and Going the Extra Mile

Mr. McGreevy was a great teacher for so many reasons but mostly because he took the time to slowly explain everything from the start to the end. I always felt I could ask him at any time any question with out him getting angry.

I loved the way he wrote on the blackboard because he had nice writing.

He was consistent because he did things like draw squares around the answers. He also seemed to choose relevant homework.

Even though I had him for four years I remember one day when he asked who was interested in getting straight “As” – he was offering a Saturday workshop.

Of course, we were then like most of my students now: they’d LOVE to have straight “As.”

Then and now, most students do follow what Mr. McGreevy called the Bell curve; he demonstrated that most students grades are somewhere in the middle. I always wanted to be one of the students with the “As.”

Maybe if I just did that little bit extra it would pay off.

Pay attention; here’s the key

I attended his Saturday class and after doing various exercises and reading he got to the point of the argument.

He said, and listen very carefully,

If…

If…

If…

If you want to get straight As then all you have to do is develop a love for learning.

I was shocked. I was disappointed because I thought he was going to give me the answers to that Friday’s test!

I had to love learning?

Who loves learning? We only went to school because we had to. Love learning… that was the key.

He was right. I don’t care how many times my mother could tell me about the starving children in Africa who didn’t have shoes or school, it still didn’t make me want to study.

I don’t actually remember doing homework. I do remember it was assigned. I’m pretty certain I did it either during another class or before the class started. I’ll have to check with my classmates on that one.

I do agree that the key to learning is to develop a love for learning. I found something even more important for me, and that is the love of teaching.

I since have gone on to become a teacher. I truly love being in front of the kids and seeing them smile. I feel like it is an enormous privilege and honor to have this responsibility. I try to do my best with it.

One day I’m going to retire from teaching and just be an American living in Italy with her family and garden. God willing. In the mean time, I’m going to continue to love learning and teaching.

Writing since she got a crayon in her hand, Julie is currently working as a Special Aids and English teacher at two Middle Schools in Italy. She has lived in Italy for more than 15 years, is married, has two young children and writes JBulie’s Blog.