"They are both scary, just different types," the newly-minted Solanco teacher said Monday, facing his own class for the first time.

"When you're actually in a classroom and it's your own, it makes you a little nervous. But it's not imminent danger."

At just 24, McMullen has done something many of his fellow first-year teachers have not: He completed his six-year active reserve contract with the Marines, including seven months in Iraq.

McMullen accepted his first full-time teaching position at Solanco High School in spring 2005.

But he didn't start teaching there until three days ago.

Mere days after Solanco offered him a job teaching agriculture-related classes, McMullen received another life-altering phone call.

He was leaving for Iraq in September.

A Marine Corps reservist, this would be McMullen's first tour overseas.

Solanco superintendent Jon Rednak assured McMullen that a position would be waiting when he returned.

"He said, 'It wasn't a question. We'll get a long-term substitute in and we'll see you when you get back,' " McMullen said. "To me, that was a sign that this was a really good school district."

For the seven months McMullen lived in Iraq, his civil affairs unit helped communities rebuild.

"I saw a lot of good things over there," he said. "There is obviously bad stuff going on, but there is a lot of good. I wish (the media) would show some of the building projects."

He has another year-and-a-half of inactive reserves before his military service is done.

When he returned to the U.S., however, his desire to teach was as strong as ever.

A lifelong resident of Morgantown, McMullen said his family owned horses and his grandmother and uncle both lived on farms.

His childhood exposure to agriculture, coupled with an innate love of working with children, steered him to a major in agriculture education at Penn State University.

Only 60 high schools in Pennsylvania offer ag-related courses, he said. Solanco is one of them.

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McMullen readied his blue marker and flipped on the overhead projector Wednesday afternoon. The 15 students in his advanced animal science class of were starting the first chapter in their textbook.

The 47-minute class went quickly as McMullen threw out questions and allowed a class discussion to commence. "What was the first domestic animal?" he asked.

"Dogs," a student answered.

"Where was the first dog domesticated?"

"Iraq," another student said.

"When I was in Iraq ... there are tons of dogs over there," he told the class, admitting he didn't know Iraq was the first region to tame dogs until a few weeks ago.

Earlier in the day, McMullen showed videos in his hand and power tools and electrical wiring classes.

"Keep your head up, pay attention, no sleeping in class," McMullen told the chattering students in a voice much deeper than the one he uses in casual conversation.

"I am new, so they like to test," he said. "In the first part of the year you are more strict.

"It just seems like last year that I was in high school," he said. "It's strange being in this adult role."

McMullen planned to stay at school until 8 or 9 p.m. to finish lesson plans.

Although the workload may be more than he anticipated, McMullen said he has never doubted teaching is the right career.

"It is a lot of work and it is very stressful, but it is something I do enjoy," he said. "This is what I want to be doing." blog comments powered by Disqus