When Matthew Hutton ’23 started his educational journey at McDaniel, he had an inkling that he would want to be a history teacher. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he changed his mind as he saw what teachers were going through to manage remote learning. Instead, he declared a dual major in History and Business Administration, the latter of which included a concentration in Finance, with an ultimate goal of becoming a financial advisor.
But sometimes, the best laid plans don’t work out. “Once I graduated, I realized that I don’t enjoy sitting at a desk all day, which is what I would mostly be doing as a financial advisor,” Hutton says. “I also became a basketball coach for a local third and fourth grade team and saw that working with youth is something I really have a drive for.”
Hutton also missed history being a part of his daily life, and he thought back on the teachers who made it interesting and fun to learn throughout his schooling.
“Teaching is a combination of all the things that I enjoy doing,” Hutton says. “So, I joined the Teacher Collaborative Fellowship in the spring of 2024, beginning classes for my M.S.T. in May. I should be graduating in summer 2025 and able to officially begin my career as a social studies teacher.”
Since the fellowship has Hutton and his cohort members in the classroom five days per week, they are getting a crash course in what it means to be a teacher in Carroll County Public Schools. “I have had the opportunity to do everything that a teacher does from day one,” he says. “No two days are the same, but working with my mentor teacher has opened my eyes to a diverse range of teaching strategies.”
Hutton’s classroom training ranges from ensuring that Individualized Education Programs and 504s are in place so that all students have the proper accommodations to ensure their success to adapting his expertise in history to a seventh grade level. He has found the “lightbulb moments” in the classroom, however, to be the most rewarding aspect of his experience so far.
“I’m glad that I maintained my History major even after I switched my career goals at McDaniel,” Hutton says. “Since I have a broad knowledge of history as a subject, I don’t have to focus on learning the content but rather can focus my time and energy on my own Education coursework and how to impart my knowledge to my students. Students won’t retain the material if it is not presented to them in a manner that they find entertaining, so that’s been a fun challenge to take on.”
Ultimately, Hutton is glad that his journey brought him back to his true passion for history and working with kids, and that the Teacher Collaborative Fellowship made this switch in career path more accessible for him as a young professional.
“This isn’t a profession where you can just show up, go through the motions, and leave for the day,” Hutton says. “I aim to be like my middle and high school music teacher and high school Spanish teacher. They always made sure I got the help I needed. Because of them, I’m a firm believer that students can tell the teachers that are dedicated to the craft, and those that aren’t. I hope my students can tell every day that I’m here for them.”
