Still Thankful, After All these Years

With apologies to the writer of the song (who until I googled, I always thought was Willie Nelson, apologies to Paul Simon--I'm really pop culture deprived--how do you confuse Paul Simon with Willie Nelson!  I can hear the shrieks from my reading friends, and I apologize), I wanted to share with you why I am still thankful to be a teacher after all these years.

You know that people either think you are a saint or crazy if they learn that you are a teacher of middle school (or every other age).  Many express it, "Well, I could never do that", or "How can you do that?" or "I really admire you-you have the patience of a saint."  I always reply that I have the best job in town.  Here's why I'm still thankful after all of these years.  (I have taught every grade level, and have been part of administration at different points in my career.)

1.  I have a job that pays me (albeit inadequately by many counts and standards) to be a guide toward learning.  I get to see the light that comes on a child's face when they come to a point of understanding or connection.  I still get a thrill (and it happened again on Tuesday) when one of my students comes to tell me that they are understanding my subject and feel confident that they will do well going forward.  I will never get over how happy they become and how happy it makes me.  I love to watch kids learn in the way you love to watch a baby video of a child's first steps or first words.  It is rewarding and thrilling.
2. I have the opportunity to bless the next generations of my community with children who have learned the value of hard work, of perseverance, of kindness, of mercy, of sharing, and of the love of learning.  I vote in every election to make my voice heard, but my voice is heard most clearly in the classroom where I get to tell children that they can make a difference by being good people in all circumstances.  Teachers can actually shape someone's destiny.  What greater vote can be cast than to cast a light on the path for a student who will walk from your classroom with a new perspective that propels them down the path of things that are good and right?  I love knowing that right now a young man has a career in engineering because he gained confidence and knowledge and a love of learning in my classroom.  I love knowing that student are setting and obtaining goals because of their time spent with me.  (But it is not just me, it is you as well.  You just need to remember to look around and see your successes.)
3. I have the joy of being forever youthful.  I am drinking from the Fountain of Youth every day as I engage young people in conversation.  I know what kids like, culturally.  (Obviously, none of them like Willie Nelson or Paul Simon.  I only know what they like now.  And, true to my nature, I will promptly forget the artists' names.) :)  I always know what to suggest for gifts.  I know how to take their youthful fancies and weave them into a subject they don't necessarily naturally enjoy and bring them along to a point of understanding and mastery.  That's so much fun.
4. I have the entertainment of unfiltered people responses to things.  (For example, I had a student-and I'm not proud of this, just entertained by it- who during the Las Vegas shootings finally realized that LV was in Nevada and a different city than Los Angeles in California.  When the light came on for her, she just blurted out, "Oh, now I get it!"  Of course, the reactions of her friends were entertaining as well.  Surprisingly, a few of them had the same confusion.  Others were snickering. But all in all, fun for me, as we took a rabbit trail and consulted a USA map.)  I wish I had started writing funny things down when I first started teaching, but I really needed a personal assistant for that to ever happen.  Honestly, teachers need personal assistants.  Every teacher needs two personal assistants and a teacher's aide as well as a secretary to get the job done on a daily basis without bleeding into the post school hours.  In a perfect world, that will happen, right?  Maybe I'll try to develop a business model that will allow that to work.  If I do, I'll unveil it here.  In the meantime, I am my own two personal assistants, teacher aide and secretary.
5. I have a job that is never the same from day to day or year to year.  I am in a constant state of change that challenges me to be ever growing.  I will never be stagnant in this job.  Some of the change is silly and unnecessary. (Can anyone say that they hate when the admins go to a conference because you know you will have to implement something they heard may work at the conference?  Oh, and implement it by next Wednesday, and write a summary about how it's working.  When will they ever learn that if someone does something that works at their school, they are not also doing the other 40 things that work at 40 other schools, and we do not have to be the school that does all 41 and counting things from all the other schools?  And, yes, that was not proper grammar, but really, someone has to say this!)  Some of the change is beneficial.  Some of the challenges seem to be Everests and others are the equivalent of speed bumps.  In any case, this job causes me to adapt on the fly which can be exhilarating without needing skis, or windsurfing equipment.  And, you have to see that it is not me, but it is you too.  We get so downtrodden by the amount of work that we neglect to look across road we have already traveled to see what we have accomplished.
6. Finally, I have a job that allows me to explore ideas and interests and incorporate them in my work.  Where else can you be interested in learning about something and make it part of your conversation (or as others call them- lesson plans).  When I'm intrigued by something, I find ways to build that in to my curriculum which allows me to be surrounded by things I like.  I had a year where I was fascinated by origami.  I don't know why, but I just wanted to learn more about it.  I got the origami a day calendar and did one daily.  I used those figures as story starters with my class.  I used them as rewards.  I used them as gifts to celebrate successes of many types.  You do similar things with your class.  We all learn from each other.

I'm thankful to be a teacher after all these years.  I hope you are too.  Maybe you have different reasons than I do.  However, keep that list in your planner and read it about once a month.  It will help you remember that you are making a difference.

First published November 24, 2017