“Being a teacher is a rewarding career, even if you have to face challenges throughout it,” says Caroline Slowik, an AP psychology and Human Geography teacher at RMHS.
As confident as she is today, Slowik didn’t always know what she wanted to do. As an alumna from RMHS, Slowik can relate to many current students who struggle with finding a solid direction for her future. “Throughout high school, I kept changing my focus. At first I wanted to be a vet, [then I wanted to] go into business, be a chef and many other jobs,” she reflects.
When her junior year started, Slowik was nervous because that year was always presented as the year that mattered the most. However, when she stepped into Patrick Thorburn’s class, she knew immediately that she would enjoy it. “He made learning history fun and exciting,” Slowik said.
She started to consider education as a career due to Thorburn’s inspiring ways, and despite her many focus changes, she landed on preschool as one of her electives. This opened new doors and her eyes to a future in an enjoyable career. Slowik knew that this was the path she wanted to take and pursued education in college.
Slowik went to Illinois State University and majored in History/ Social Sciences Education and minored in Political Science. When she graduated, she chose to apply to work at RMHS because of the impact that Thorburn, who passed away in 2020, made on her. Slowik wanted her students to feel the same way she felt while taking her favorite teacher’s class.
This school year Slowik teaches AP Psychology and Human Geography. She enjoys both. “AP Psychology is fun for the activities and demos; also, there are a lot of real world examples that students can apply to their own lives,” Slowik said. She continued by adding, “Human Geography, on the other hand, talks about current events and the way we interact with people around the world, which is also exciting to learn.”
As a newer teacher who recently started her third year, Slowik has learned, much due to the inspiration of Thorburn, how important it is to create a classroom culture and find ways to connect with students. “It is just as important as the content we teach,” Slowik said.
Of the many impactful parts of being an educator, Slowik’s favorite is watching her students gain new skills. “Overall, seeing my students grow throughout the year and forming positive relationships with them is always great,” Slowik said.
Like Thorburn, Slowik has found a path to inspiring others. Her passion for her content and for her students has led others to want to pursue careers in psychology or take similar classes. “It is so rewarding,” Slowik said.
So now when students come up to her not knowing what they want to do after high school she feels more confident in her answer. “Choose what makes you happy, not what makes others happy. Everyone is different.”
Slowik is happy with the decision she made to teach, grateful to Thorburn for inspiring her, and excited to see how she can continue to make impacts on her students.