Teachers invest a lot of time and effort into their students and the lessons they teach. While it can have its tough days, the career of being an educator can also have a lot of rewarding moments. Doug Walker is a teacher at Enid High School and he says that he loves those moments when it all comes together for a student.
“One thing I enjoy about being a teacher are the ‘aha’ moments,” he said. “When a kid just figures it out and it all falls in place. I also like being the ‘safe haven’ for a kid that just needs a place to be themselves.”
Walker teaches Algebra 1 and Honors Algebra at Enid, where he has been for eight years. Before moving to the high school, he taught at Longfellow Middle School in Enid.
The decision to become a teacher was one that Doug came to after having some outstanding teachers made an impact on his life.
“My teachers growing up were a huge influence on me and I wanted to be that for others,” Walker said on becoming a teacher. “Some of those teachers that played a big role in my life were David Ogletree, who showed me I could do math despite struggling, and Nolan Harsh, who showed me I could learn concepts I hadn’t thought of.”
Throughout his teaching career, Walker has been given different pieces of advice to help him. And he says that there are a few that have been important to him.
“One bit of advice I was given was to find a few guiding principles to help you through,” he said. “One of my big ones is, ‘It is my job to never say that I don’t know how else to show you. It’s my job to come up with new ways.’”
When he is not in the classroom, Doug enjoys being outdoors.
“I have a Jeep and my wife and I are always looking for the road less traveled.”
