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Can you tell us about yourself? 

Hi, my name is Dominique Mccue. I am a third-grade teacher, uh, in Knoxville, Tennessee, and this is my first year. I just graduated in May and I actually am going to be teaching at this school that I went to elementary school at. So I'm pretty excited to give back and start with my kiddos.

Why did you start a career in education?

The reason I, the reason I chose education is that probably about five years ago, four or five years ago, I started coaching and travel softball team. And for the past, like six, seven years, I've actually been doing like private,  hitting and pitching lessons. And, um, and just really like made a big difference to me with the difference that I was making all my kids, my girls, uh, stop all students, I guess you could say, um, just knowing like how much of a role model I was and how much of influence I was on them and how much they looked up to me and how much of a difference I was making in their lives.
And like building that connection and those trusting relationships, uh, I felt like that's, you know, something that these students really, really need and sometimes they don't get. 

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

But if I wasn't going to be a teacher, I was actually going to be a nurse that was my first career option. I'm almost halfway through nursing school and I decided to change my major. So, uh, my parents were not happy about that now because I wanted to be a teacher because I was like almost done. And then it was like, Nope. Um, but yeah, so if I wasn't going be a teacher, I would be a nurse. Um, I just love caring for people. I love loving on people, being there for people. Um, I just decided, you know, like you just teaching there's, it's a calling for teaching. And, you know, I definitely felt that that calling for coaching was there and I just had to do it. I was literally one year into the nursing or I have one year left of the nursing program and had to start all back over and spent, took three more years to be a teacher. Um, but I definitely think it's worth it.

How are kids different now than 30 years ago?

So what's different in kids than 30 years ago is technology and a good way in a bad way, but their phones, tablets, I-phones iPods, iPads, and video games. I think that's a big distraction though. It's not always but can be a bad distraction, but also it can be, you know, a good thing too, if you use it the right way.

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

What would I tell what I tell someone I would tell them that it's worth it as just keep trying. It's so worth it. Uh, my student teaching was the best time of my life and I can't wait to meet my kiddos and it's just worth it.

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

I would change is if I could help him every kid I would, if there wasn't a gap between, you know, the West side of Knoxville and the side of Knoxville and I could bridge that gap, I would, um, that's the biggest thing I would change. Thanks for listening. Bye.