Listen

Watch

Can you tell us about yourself? 

"Hi, my name is Corey Timko and I am a library media specialist at an elementary school, Grove city, Pennsylvania, kindergarten through fifth grade. Um, I have always wanted to be a teacher and I've been a teacher for about 10 years. I wasn't a regular classroom and then I moved to be a library media specialist and I just love teaching all different grade levels and I love students."

Why did you start a career in education?

"I would say that I started my career as a teacher because I had a passion for children and students, helping them learn, helping them grow and explore." 

If you could have any other job what would it be and why?

"If I could pick any other job, I would definitely say computer science. I would definitely be a computer science nerd or maybe a coder. I think one of those jobs would be interesting and I wished I would have been exposed to that when I was younger." 

How are kids different now than 30 years ago?

"How different our kids now than 30 years ago? Well, I think kids today aren't afraid to take risks and I think that that's a really cool thing. And I think that 30 years ago it was a little bit, um, more structured. And so that risk taking maybe wasn't quite as available as it is now."

How is teaching different now than 30 years ago?

"How is teaching different than 30 years ago? So I would've been probably in the middle school and I think it was just kind of um, teacher led and maybe not so much state led, like it is now, maybe school led. And I think there's a lot of great opportunities today, but I also think that sometimes the state and all of the requirements that they put on can hinder school districts."  

What would you tell someone who wants to become a teacher?

"What would you tell someone now who is thinking of being a teacher? I would say to future teachers to be ready to change, be ready to adapt because every single year of teaching is a little bit different. And that's why years and years of experience makes you a better teacher. But I think just the constant change, the constant evolution, how the kids change, how um, requirements change, um, be ready to adapt. I think that would be my advice." 

What is one thing you would change to help kids learn better?

"Next question. One thing that I would change to help kids learn better. So I would remove all barriers, whether it be economics, and so maybe kids today don't have access to technology at home. I would put a Chrome book, let's say for example, in everyone's hands, and that would remove a barrier, um, for students in that form. And then maybe re, you know, they don't have internet at home. That's another barrier. Economics, different things like that. I would make it just so it's an equal playing field. And I think that when it's an equal playing field, kids have unlimited access to whatever they want and their creativity can just go wild and crazy. So that's a little bit about me. Hope I answered everything. Thanks."