Rachael Black
Biology Teacher
Aledo Independent School District
Weatherford, TX USA
“Sometimes it’s important to put yourself first. Find a passion and joy for yourself in your own life.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationRachael Black
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
My home life was stressful growing up because both of my parents struggled with drug addiction and I was the oldest of six kids—school was my outlet to get away from the stress at home.
Neither of my parents graduated high school, so graduating from both high school and college were very important milestones I wanted to achieve for myself.
After struggling with community college, I joined the military in an attempt to gain financial aid for school—but I was discharged after a year when I broke my legs.
I started working in education as a special education aide, as well as an aide for students with emotional disturbance.
I wanted to set an example for my children, fulfill my dreams of becoming a teacher, and keep helping students, so I decided to go to college for my bachelor’s degree.
After hearing about Western Governors University through advertisements, I decided to give their program a try—it worked well for me because it was adaptable to my experience and other obligations.
I graduated from WGU with my bachelor’s degree in biology.
I currently work as a ninth-grade biology and pre-AP biology teacher and am working toward my master’s degree from WGU!
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
Biology Teacher
I teach biology to high school students.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Science
Teaching / Mentoring
Day to Day
Depending on the class, I’m with my students in the lab two to three times a week. I design my own lab experiments to make them engaging and real-world applicable. These labs include dissections and criminology experiments. My days are fun and exciting but biology is state-tested in Texas, so I work hard to make sure my students are prepared to pass their state exams as well.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for professionals
If you're looking to further yourself or make a career change, I highly recommend a program like WGU. As a working professional, you have real-world experience and education that you can leverage to test out of courses and reach achievements quickly. The program was paramount in my journey to becoming a teacher.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Myself:
"Taking care of others is a higher priority than your own needs."
Challenges I Overcame
Family Stress
School Stress
Work-Life Balance
