As a high school senior or college freshman, I was about half-way through my career as a student. At that time it would have seemed amazing or crazy to predict that I would become a teacher. By that time I had experienced a short lifetime of frustration and humiliation. No one ever said I was dumb; they said I was irresponsible, lazy, and unmotivated because the word "slacker" hadn't been coined yet. All of that was untrue but if you are told the same thing all your life, you start to believe it.
Over the years still other words were invented. Knowing that I had a "disability" called "Attention Deficit Disorder" was actually helpful; I had a "condition" and if I understood its nature, I could create "accommodations". I had finally figured this out on my own without the big words. I love to learn. I love to read. I love to take classes. I love knowing stuff. And I'm a great teacher. Now we are getting away from labels. The key seems to be that everybody has a unique way where they can be a successful learner. Content may be important but it is more important for a student to learn to be an independent, self-motivated learner. Grades are a great motivator for a lucky few obviously "good students". The rest of us need some other reason to succeed.
I am a retired social studies teacher. I taught American History and Economics - and most of the other high school social studies classes - for 27 years. I have a masters degree in secondary education and a second masters degree in business administration (an MBA). I used to climb mountains, run marathons, bike across the state or bike from Seattle to Portland in a day. I also played harmonica and guitar - not so much anymore. I retired on-time for health reasons (nothing drastic - overweight and out of shape).
Now I have new interests. I get plenty of exercise. I go on "vision quests" where I visit remote areas in Oregon and Washington and camp out of my car. Looks like I'll be reading or taking classes for the rest of my life - just can't seem to fill those gaps in my knowledge. The most fun for me right now is the periodical online arts magazine which I edit and publish. Now if I can just get some students, that should finally be enough to keep me busy.