A former CIA officer and FBI Special Agent says that teaching is the hardest job she's ever done. She says it is also the most rewarding. Tracy Walder spoke about her experiences in a video, wanting to emphasize just how difficult teaching is, especially with school boards and politicians putting even more pressure on teachers.
Tracy said that she has worked as a teacher for more than a decade, teaching at a high school before becoming an adjunct professor. In many of her videos, she has talked about her experiences with the FBI and the CIA and has also provided safety tips.
In her video, Tracy tells a story of a teacher who reached out to her with the desire to find an easier job. Because she thought teaching fifth grade was getting too difficult, she wanted to work for the FBI instead. Tracy pointed out that this is very telling.
“Teaching is harder than my jobs at the CIA and at the FBI," Tracy said.
Although teaching is also the most rewarding job that Tracy has ever had, she has dealt with a lot of difficult situations, such as having desks thrown at her. Despite the challenges, she loves seeing her students grow.
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"There is no more physically and emotionally taxing job than teaching," she said, which is a pretty powerful statement considering she was also an FBI agent and a CIA officer.
In several other videos, Tracy provided some safety tips for those who might be traveling alone or traveling abroad — especially women. When she travels, she always sends her itinerary to people who are not traveling with her: usually her husband and her mom.
"Even though I’m 45 years old I do send it to my mom as well," she smiled.
When it comes to hotels, she advises against staying on the ground floor. Instead, travelers should opt to stay on floors 3 to 6. The reason? They're more difficult to get to, but it's also fairly easy to get downstairs in the event of an emergency situation. "If they put you on the ground floor, ask for that to be changed," she said.
She also reminded travelers to lock the security lock on the door immediately after entering the hotel room. "It’s the first thing I do behind myself when I enter the room. Lock the security lock right away,” she said, adding that there's not really any reason to not have it locked.
To feel extra safe, Tracy also travels with a rubber doorstop that she uses while she's sleeping. She also had a reminder for those who choose to drink at the hotel bar or elsewhere on the trip: never leave your drink unintended.
In another video, Tracy shared her No. 1 safety tip, which is something she has seen many people overlook.
Her No. 1 safety secret is: lock your doors. "It's really that simple," she said.