Quick…
| Category: General, School Daze | 0 Comments
One of my colleagues was interviewed by her daughter (a senior in high school) this week. One of the questions she asked was, (and I’m paraphrasing) “What’s the best part about your job, and what’s the worst part about your job?” My colleague later told me that she responded very quickly:
“The kids.”
I totally agree. When it comes down to it, the paperwork, the hoops, the politics, and the cliques take backstage to what we’re here for: teaching kids how to learn, and giving them tools to make them life-long learners, while somehow managing to make it fun. I delight in it, and I am depressed by it. You give so much, get so much back, but the transfer of energies in between leaves you drained. I am fortunate enough to have teacher friends, and be married to an awesome teacher, so they understand the give-and-take that is the every day, grind-it-out, soul-cleansing experience that is teaching.
I see that Soapbox Tony is getting revved up, so I’ll cut him off right here with this anecdote, before he spends too much time on journalling today.
Yesterday, one of my students asked me the classic: “Do you know how to spell excellent? You do? Spell it.” To which I ingeniously replied, “I, t. That joke’s been around since I was in second grade.” Another second grader, with a smirk on her face (because she knew she was about to throw a zinger) said, “Wow, that joke must be REALLY old!” I was so proud of her for being that comfortable with me.
I love this job. Too bad I’m so old already that I’ll probably have to retire in three years.
