Ruben Brosbe | Teaching on a wing and a prayer

Last Friday, I walked into class wearing jeans for the first time. My students, accustomed to seeing me in slacks, button down and tie predictably freaked out. "Mr. Brosbe's wearing jeans! Finally!"

None of the other male teachers at P.S 33, an elementary school built for 750 students but currently serving 1,050, wear a tie. I choose to wear one because as a first-year teacher, I figure it conveys a certain gravitas I don't necessarily have yet. Or at least didn't when I began teaching in September.

That same Friday I decided to eat lunch with my students instead of in the teacher's lounge. Taken out of context, it seems like another relatively simple decision. But you should know about my typical lunch hour in September - usually spent sullenly snacking on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

After one particularly rough morning, I sat on the couch in the teachers' lounge, shell-shocked and literally unsure if I could go back into the classroom.

I'm not that far removed from the world of beer pong and Kenn Kweder. I was standing in my class the other day, watching my students take a practice exam and the whole situation suddenly struck me as very odd.

Here I am, 22 years old and barely in control of my own life. And yet I'm endowed with this incredible responsibility and power. Standing there, I watched 25 children working away on their tests and oblivious to the fact that their teacher sometimes finds his position completely absurd.

I wonder if any of my classmates feel the same way. Our college days are still pretty fresh in our minds. And yet here we are as i-bankers, paralegals, consultants and in the rare instance, teachers.

I'm sure we all feel similar awkwardness in our new roles as adults in the "real world". What I'm not sure about is whether my classmates in finance, consulting and other fields have experienced the same kind of transformation I've gone through the past four months.

These days, I feel more comfortable with myself. I feel more comfortable with my kids. My choice to wear jeans was a subtle way of letting my guard down in the classroom. From the way my students responded, I know it was the right choice. Somehow I doubt casual Fridays offer the same kind of excitement on Wall Street.

Nobody questions that teaching is a rewarding job. But apparently the intangible rewards teaching offers aren't enough to entice many Penn graduates.

According to Penn's Career Services survey of the Class of 2007 just 14 percent of the 595 respondents with full-time jobs were in elementary, secondary or higher education (The actual percentage of Penn grads in education is probably even smaller considering only 902 of 1663 graduates filled out the survey, and of those 61 percent were women).

It's a shame there aren't more. The students of schools like the one I work in need qualified, dedicated individuals like those coming out of Penn. That is the only way this country will close the vast achievement gap between its children of poverty and privilege.

Uncertainty isn't rare for those of us just out of college. Did we make the right choice? Can we be really happy in this job? Some, if not most, of us won't be in our current jobs in a year or two. So, how can we guarantee we get the most out of this transitional time in our lives?

On May 11, the Friday before commencement, I was still waiting to figure things out when I was accepted to the Teaching Fellows program. Less than a month later, I was deciding whether to take the leap or go for a less stressful, "safer" job as a paralegal. Luckily for me, I chose the classroom.

Now, I come home exhausted everyday. I am pushed to my limits daily. Most of my Friday nights have been spent asleep on my couch and the days of a weekday social life are a distant memory. Meanwhile, I am making half the starting salary of most of my peers.

But when I think of some of my friends who have quickly become disillusioned and frustrated by jobs elsewhere, it makes the tough year I've had seem all the more invaluable.

I've never once regretted the decision to teach. Can all my friends say the same?

If you're going to take a risk, now is the time to do it. College and the few years after it offer unparalleled freedom to try - and possibly fail - at new things.

For some this might mean learning a new language or backpacking through Europe. But Penn grads are capable of much more. Imagine taking a risk that won't just change your life, but has the power to change 25 others as well.

Ruben Brosbe is a College 2007 alumnus and former blogger for The Spin. You can read more about his teaching experiences on his blog, "Is Our Children Learning?" at bronxteach.com.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.