1. My Philosophy of Teaching
Miguel A. Bueso
The Spanish philosopher Maimonides is often credited with the saying, “Give a man a
fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” I
believe that teaching people how to fish is the ultimate goal of education. Career
planning is the subject where I find my teaching passion. It is through career planning
that the age old question of “why do we need to learn this?” is answered and a passion
for learning can be sparked. We begin to ask children early in their lives what they want
to be when they grow up yet often we fail, as adults, to adequately provide the
necessary education and training needed by children to allow them to offer a well-
informed response. Career development allows students to learn more about
themselves, about which careers are most compatible to them, and about how to
research and compare careers. I desire to assist my students in realizing their dreams
by helping them explore fulfilling career options.
I believe that all students should have access to high-quality career planning, job-
development, and academic support services. So many career opportunities exist today
that without adequate assessments and planning, many viable career opportunities may
not even be considered. Technology is predicted to continue radically changing our
labor market creating new jobs while causing others to become obsolete. Students who
understand the career planning process and how to access current job trends will be
better able to effectively navigate career changes they may face over the course of their
careers.

2. My life was literally saved by career services I received at my local community college
over twenty five years ago. I had never taken a career assessment or received career
counseling of any kind in high school or during my undergraduate studies. Like many
adolescents when I was 17, I believed that money was the key to happiness. That was
the primary reason that I decided to major in Business Administration. After graduating I
began my business career diligently climbing the corporate ladder for 10 years. I
eventually earned a coveted slot in a “Fast-Track” training program where I spent the
next year being trained at branches all over the country. After completing the training I
was promoted into a mid-management position supervising workers with many more
years of experience than I. Despite my success I was more unfulfilled than ever. I
eventually grew so disheartened that I knew I had to make a career change.
I went to my local community college desperate for help. That is where I receive career
counseling and was encouraged to take my first ever career assessment at the age of
30. My assessment results really grabbed my attention when I read that there was an
extremely low compatibility correlation between my personality and business
administration. Instead, my assessment results indicated that I have what psychologist
John Holland called a “Social” personality which is fulfilled primarily by careers that
provide individuals or groups with services such as teaching, counseling, and nursing. I
will never forget the feeling of excitement I experienced at that moment. I felt like I had
discovered who I was for the first time in my life!
I teach today because I want to spark that same enthusiasm and excitement in the lives
of my students. I have been the transition coordinator for The Pathways Schools for the
past 25 years where I teach and counsel students with emotional and behavioral

3. disorders how to prepare for the world of work and plan a path to their dream careers. I
teach students how to identify their interests and values, how to complete interest
assessments and interpret the results, how to research career options, how to “sell
themselves” to prospective employers, how to develop and type their résumés, and the
dos and don’ts of interviewing. I have also helped our organization develop a full range
of work opportunities for students including paid work crews, paid and unpaid
internships, as well as, job-hunting trips to help them get part-time jobs near their
homes.
Desiring to provide fresh, innovative approaches to teaching career development, at
times when instructional resources are limited, I have created my own materials and
curriculum which I have used successfully with teens and adults alike. In 2004 I was
recruited to join Montgomery College as an adjunct professor where I continue to teach
career planning, job-hunting best practices, and academic survival skills, as well as,
provide individual career counseling services in Workforce Development and Continuing
Education. Nothing is more professionally satisfying for me than when a student is
successful in part due to something I helped them learn. Teaching has allowed me to
mentor students and contribute to their intellectual growth, as well as, gain new
perspectives on topics that that I teach and reexamine the key ideas and assumptions
that shape the production of knowledge in my field.