Hello, world, welcome to discover your talent, do what you love. I'm your host, Don Hutchison.

Hello, world, welcome to discover your talent, do what you love. I'm your host, Don Hutchison.

Every Tuesday, I interview someone from around the world who's discovered their talents to do work they love to create a life of success, satisfaction, and freedom.

On Fridays, I interview an individual with many years of experience from one of the most popular or interesting occupations or professions who shares an insider's look at what it's really like to do what they do.

Today I'm delighted to bring you our featured guest, John Donegan, and our topic, The Day in the Life, what's it really like to be a middle school teacher?

Welcome, John. Thank you. Happy to be a middle school teacher? Welcome, John.

Thank you.

Happy to be here.

It's our pleasure.

John, are you using your talents doing work that you love?

Amazingly, yes.

All righty.

Well, we want to hear the whole story.

In the spring of 1978, John Donegan received the news that he had sufficient credits to graduate from the

University of Florida with the BA in history and move on to the next phase of his life.

While many would be thrilled to graduate in three years, he was terrified.

The job market was terrible, inflation was rampant, and the energy crisis had Americans turning out lights and

waiting in long lines for a tank of gas. Partly to avoid graduation and partly due to some

sage advice from a trusted professor, John applied to the College of Education for their

one-year teacher certification program. Four decades later, that advice seems to have paid off as John

continues to enjoy a career as a social studies teacher. Well, that's an overview of your

rather amazing career, John. Congratulations to you on that. Before we get into your work as a teacher,

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