How I Used Subway and Videos Games to Inspire Kids

Before I was a substitute teacher, I was asked to talk to a group of 9th graders.

There was a program in town, sort of like Junior Achievement, where professionals to speak to high schoolers about their careers

Now keep in mind, before I knew what it was like to be teacher, so I didn’t know what to expect, because standing in front of young kids is a pretty daunting thing.

When you first look at them, you start asking yourself, “Did I look that young in 9th grade?”
Uhh, yes!

So I stood in front of the kids and talked about my life, going from high school to college and professions I held, then I asked them what they wanted to do with their lives.

All I heard was crickets

The silence was deafening that I felt like were staring at each other for hours instead of seconds, when a kid suddently said “I want to work at Subway”.

The kids laughed.

I knew that if I didn’t say something fast, they would think this whole thing is a joke, so I said, “Hey there is nothing wrong working at Subway, it’s a good job”.

I then asked the young man if he worked at a Subway and he said yes.

I told him that since he was working at a Subway that he would have an opportunity to either become manager or better yet own his own subway and make money?

The laughter stopped. Their eyes began to widen.

I then asked how many of them liked playing video games.

A bunch of hands went up.

I told them that even though playing games is fun, there were many jobs in the gaming industry from testing games, to designing game to create the art for the boxes to actually owning the games as a business.

By that time, the chatter turned from who is this guy is wow that would be cool.

The last thing I told them that the best jobs in the world are the based around what passionate about or a hobby that you enjoy, because then it’s not a job, it’s a career.

It’s been a few years, so it’s almost time for these kids to graduate, hopefully I made difference.

For non-teachers, I think it’s important to help mentor young minds, either by going to schools to talk about your profession, allowing field trips to your business or being involved with afterschool.

For some kids, they may not see a man or woman in suit or wrap their brains around the possibility of becoming something bigger than their neighborhood like becoming a doctor, lawyer, computer programmer, teacher or a franchise owner of Subways around the world.

*(What are your students’ responses when professionals come and speak to your classes? Are they inspired or does it take a bit more to encourage them to think big?)