More elegant, beautiful reflections. I love reading your words.
I also wonder what’s in store next year! (I might have missed it, so no need to respond as I will catch up at some point.)
In my best moments, I have had the exact same feelings about teaching (and leading), right down to packing my PB&J in my early years teaching.
The one thing I would add, which I still feel with profound amazement, is the gratitude and honor I have felt for parents and guardians trusting me with their children every day. It’s an astounding situation that really has no parallel elsewhere in life.
This essay has really sparked my thinking, helped me reflect on the jobs in schools that felt like they filled my soul vs. the ones that I had to slog through.
I'm not sure I agree with you that your job is easier than manual labor of chopping wood all day. Honestly, the emotional and cognitive labor that teaching requires is HARD... I wonder if you had given the wood chopper the choice to do what he's doing or what you're doing, which he would pick. :)
Yes! Both jobs are hard in their own ways. I think the wood chopper may actually prefer chopping wood to teaching a rowdy classroom. The reframe is important; just as Hall’s (and my own) ancestors found community, purpose, and passion in their manual work, I think teachers can as well. Like you said, it takes a community of people to transform jobs to meaningful work.
I've taught at 7 schools in 5 countries. Excluding pandemic online calls, there was only one school where I dreaded the weekend coming to an end. I left that "job" quickly!
I say to my current students, "Can you believe I get paid to do this?? I get paid to talk about reading and writing!" They think I'm weird because I like when summer break ends.
More elegant, beautiful reflections. I love reading your words.
I also wonder what’s in store next year! (I might have missed it, so no need to respond as I will catch up at some point.)
In my best moments, I have had the exact same feelings about teaching (and leading), right down to packing my PB&J in my early years teaching.
The one thing I would add, which I still feel with profound amazement, is the gratitude and honor I have felt for parents and guardians trusting me with their children every day. It’s an astounding situation that really has no parallel elsewhere in life.
That’s so true! As a teacher, I’m responsible for other people’s babies. It’s important to remember, especially when they are being challenging.
This essay has really sparked my thinking, helped me reflect on the jobs in schools that felt like they filled my soul vs. the ones that I had to slog through.
I'm not sure I agree with you that your job is easier than manual labor of chopping wood all day. Honestly, the emotional and cognitive labor that teaching requires is HARD... I wonder if you had given the wood chopper the choice to do what he's doing or what you're doing, which he would pick. :)
Yes! Both jobs are hard in their own ways. I think the wood chopper may actually prefer chopping wood to teaching a rowdy classroom. The reframe is important; just as Hall’s (and my own) ancestors found community, purpose, and passion in their manual work, I think teachers can as well. Like you said, it takes a community of people to transform jobs to meaningful work.
Love how you reflect on your own work through the lens of Donald Hall's writing. Also, as always, it's a pleasure to share in your reflective journey.
Thank you! I adore Donald Hall’s writing. Essays After Eighty is so good. I strive to be as reflective and honest as Hall is in his work.
I enjoyed reading your post and reflections.
I've taught at 7 schools in 5 countries. Excluding pandemic online calls, there was only one school where I dreaded the weekend coming to an end. I left that "job" quickly!
I say to my current students, "Can you believe I get paid to do this?? I get paid to talk about reading and writing!" They think I'm weird because I like when summer break ends.