The Westword recently had the opportunity to sit down with History Department head Dr. Forbes, and learn about what inspired her to become involved in teaching.
The Westword: What did you want to do as a child?
Dr. Forbes: I have a younger brother, and when we were younger we played outside in a little playhouse. I would always make believe I was a teacher, and I’d make him play along as one of my students. I’d make him practice the alphabet and such and I’d teach.
TW: Have you always wanted to teach?
DF: I always enjoyed working with kids, and from a young age had a teaching instinct. But then I thought I should go work in the business world. One of my majors in college was economics. Every summer I had internships in a business and I found it to be very boring. All the people did was make money. That was the whole purpose in their life, making money.
TW: Did you work anywhere prior to teaching?
DF: It was just the internships. I had side jobs in retail and such, but really I went right into teaching.
TW: Were there any interests leading you to teaching?
DF: I just always enjoyed helping other people. I was always the person that attempted to help everyone.
TW: What sparked your passion?
DF: It was kind of the matter of “what am I going to do?” I had interviews lined up for jobs from big financial companies because I still couldn’t decide. Once I started student teaching I just blew off the interviews and knew that teaching was what I wanted. So, instead of pursuing a life of making money I pursued a life of helping people. I ended up having an economics, education, and history degree.
TW: How did you work up to being a department head?
DF: When I went into teaching I didn’t think to be a department head. But once I started teaching at my first teaching job, the leader of the school had a doctorate from Columbia. So I thought, other than teaching I should also get a doctorate. That’s when I started my doctoral program, also at Columbia, the best school available! Having a doctoral degree made me a candidate to become department head. Just as much as I like working with students I like working with adults and teaching them.
TW: Do you like being department head?
DF: Yeah, it’s different from only teaching because it gives me the opportunity to influence classrooms besides my own.
TW: How do you balance being a department head and teaching 3 different classes?
DF: Well, I teach AP Microeconomics, ECE Essential Economics, and Sheltered Modern World History. Sometimes depending on the need I teach something different. Just as in life everything’s a balancing act.
TW: Is there anything else you would rather be doing?
DF: If I could get paid sitting on the beach, traveling the world, and attending concerts, then sure. But otherwise, no.
TW: Do you have any advice for someone that may wish to follow in your footsteps?
DF: Just follow your heart and don’t be discouraged if other people don’t believe in you.
