{"id":3272,"date":"2026-11-13T15:06:04","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T15:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanboard.org\/blog\/?p=3272"},"modified":"2026-11-13T15:13:07","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T15:13:07","slug":"from-truck-driver-to-teacher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanboard.org\/blog\/from-truck-driver-to-teacher\/","title":{"rendered":"From Truck Driver to Teacher: Zak\u2019s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For Zak Raj, going from truck driver to teacher started with an honest conversation. His job wasn\u2019t fulfilling, and a friend suggested a career he hadn\u2019t considered: education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Zak teaches fourth-grade math at Missouri Ridge Elementary in North Dakota. He also coaches varsity football and track. His favorite part? Helping students discover that they can succeed at something they once dreaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love my job. There is nothing better than watching a kid who thinks they are bad at math finally have their ah-hah moment because of the work you do with them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Zak Decided to Become a Teacher<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before working in education, Zak\u2019s career looked very different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was a truck driver in the oil field before teaching, and before that I was a manager at a deli.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decision to become a teacher didn\u2019t begin with a long-standing plan. It began with dissatisfaction and a friend who offered another possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMy career at the time was unfulfilling. Through pure coincidence, I was talking to a friend from back home about my dissatisfaction with my current job, and he suggested education. I looked into my area\u2019s job openings that night and decided to give it a go.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

That conversation led Zak to explore how he could put his existing degree to work in a new career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Truck Driver to Teacher Through Online Teacher Certification<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Zak had a college degree, but it wasn\u2019t in education. He researched alternative teacher certification programs to find a pathway that fit his circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI learned about American Board by researching alternative certification programs as my degree was not in education. I selected it because it was self-paced and didn\u2019t break the bank.\u201d Five years into his education career, he still draws on lessons from American Board\u2019s online teacher certification program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Zak, flexibility and affordability were deciding factors. He could prepare at his own pace while gaining classroom experience as a substitute teacher. For other career changers researching how to become a teacher in North Dakota<\/a>, his experience offers a personal look at that transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecting Teacher Certification Coursework With Classroom Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Substitute teaching gave Zak a way to connect his studies with situations unfolding around him. \u201cWhile I was completing the program, I was also substitute teaching. I really liked when the lessons from the program\u2019s courses aligned with what I was seeing in the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those connections have lasted well beyond his certification preparation. \u201cEven now as I look back at the courses after five years in education, I still use the lessons from those courses in my day-to-day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Zak, the coursework became something he could return to as his classroom experience grew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zak\u2019s Study Advice: Reflect on Classroom Management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Asked what he would tell current American Board candidates, Zak emphasizes reflection. He encourages candidates to think about how they would respond to real classroom situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy advice for current candidates would be to be self-reflective as you complete your coursework, especially with regard to classroom management. Ask yourself how you would handle situations in the classroom based on the taught best-practices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His own study routine used printed materials, handwritten notes, and a highlighter. \u201cWhen I studied, I was a bit old-fashioned, and printed my materials. Then I used a highlighter and notebook to emphasize key points within the curriculum that I thought would be important to study later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candidates looking for a study approach can borrow three ideas from Zak: <\/p>\n\n\n\n