I loved this post - which is maybe not a surprise! Thank you for sharing your personal story and inviting others to do the same.
This is my 17th year in the profession, which I chose to follow the path of as soon as I started school myself. Add in the 8-year age gap between myself and my sister and I was a fully fledged teacher at the age of 10 (sadly she was not the most willing student). My career path has been an undulating one, between a career break to travel the world 2 years in (with some time volunteering in a school in Australia) to teaching across the UK, Spain and Dubai. Now I am following opportunities within my other true passion - English. Supporting teachers and leaders in the curation of joyful reading and writing opportunities in the classroom.
I am proud to call myself an educator every day :)
Wow! It sounds like you've traveled and taught in some incredible locales! I love how you are following your passion. Us eldest children often make some of the best teachers (even if our little siblings don't appreciate our efforts)! Thank you for sharing. I, too, take great pride in being a teacher.
I became a teacher because I had exactly one teacher who saw me in high school and not merely where I came from. She recommended for AP English, a class I had no business taking, as my average in her class was something like a 37. If run away from home that year, and when I returned, she told me she was recommending me and that she was confident I'd make her proud and eventually, run away to college--a more promising escape hatch--and I did. And it was. And like you, I fell in love with teaching the minute I tried. My students were a mirror, though. They helped me recognize just how much healing I had to do. Your attention to the psychology of glimmers is important here. I never had that language, but oh... noticing them was an intentional practice. And that evolved into my enthusiasm for pedagogical documentation. It helps me see kids ... the way I was seen.
In the fall of 1988 I asked a friend if I could volunteer with the YoungLife club he was leading in the school district of our youth. Waking down into the basement where the meeting was happening, and energy consumed me and I knew I was going to leave banking for a career in education.
My first year of teaching in 91-92 was a bit short of a disaster, and I found myself RIFfed in CO, and soon headed to an alternative boarding program just shy of the Idaho/Canada border.
The relationship-building, reconnecting with potential and success, and healthy doses of unabashed “daring to be a dork” kept me working with “those kids” for 29 more years.
Tho retired from the classroom, I bring that teacher to PT gigs selling bikes and ushering MLS crowds, now. I love that I was a classroom educator, and thank the Creator that I am and always will be an educator at my core.
This is beautiful! How much literal and figurative warmth for those kids via the ramen and coat!
I always enjoy your writing even though I'm only homeschooling my two kids and thus not dealing with all the same challenges, and I'm always inspired by your perseverance through those challenges. My partner and I arrived at wanting to homeschool any kids we eventually had a decade before they were born when we were part of the third class of a new engineering college. One friend from that school in particular was largely responsible by helping me step out of the awful constraints of trying to look smart that I had lived within at previous schools: they showed me that being willing to learn publicly is the shortest path to knowing more, that how people (and even kids) learn is not boring or beneath anyone, and that learning, even hard learning, can be a delight when those around us are doing it too.
Becky, thanks for your thoughtful comment! Homeschooling is such hard work, balancing parenting and teaching. It sounds like you have found what works best for your kiddos. I love how you mention that learning publicly is the quickest way to knowing more. So true!
I think becoming a teacher happened to me in as much as I became one. I just have always loved learning and being connected with other humans -- and with more-than-human nature (which is why I teach about embedding nature connections into mainstream school settings). And teaching and learning are such beautiful forms of connection. And also I've stayed a teacher because it's fun and cup-filling.
Thanks for sharing this journey. Good to remember what brings us together in this world of being educators.
Becca, thanks for commenting! I'm not surprised that your humanness led you to nature and outdoor educational experiences. I'm happy to hear that teaching remains cup-filling for you. I hope to get back to that in upcoming years. In the meantime, I'm going to try to stay positive! Us teachers definitely need to stick together.
Adrian, this essay was glimmer-creating for me. Thank you SO much. I want you to know your story not only touched me and made me smile but also created a sense of wholeness and gratitude for my years in the classroom.
I loved this post - which is maybe not a surprise! Thank you for sharing your personal story and inviting others to do the same.
This is my 17th year in the profession, which I chose to follow the path of as soon as I started school myself. Add in the 8-year age gap between myself and my sister and I was a fully fledged teacher at the age of 10 (sadly she was not the most willing student). My career path has been an undulating one, between a career break to travel the world 2 years in (with some time volunteering in a school in Australia) to teaching across the UK, Spain and Dubai. Now I am following opportunities within my other true passion - English. Supporting teachers and leaders in the curation of joyful reading and writing opportunities in the classroom.
I am proud to call myself an educator every day :)
Wow! It sounds like you've traveled and taught in some incredible locales! I love how you are following your passion. Us eldest children often make some of the best teachers (even if our little siblings don't appreciate our efforts)! Thank you for sharing. I, too, take great pride in being a teacher.
I saw the word "glimmer" and immediately thought of you!
Aw thanks, Jo ✨️
I became a teacher because I had exactly one teacher who saw me in high school and not merely where I came from. She recommended for AP English, a class I had no business taking, as my average in her class was something like a 37. If run away from home that year, and when I returned, she told me she was recommending me and that she was confident I'd make her proud and eventually, run away to college--a more promising escape hatch--and I did. And it was. And like you, I fell in love with teaching the minute I tried. My students were a mirror, though. They helped me recognize just how much healing I had to do. Your attention to the psychology of glimmers is important here. I never had that language, but oh... noticing them was an intentional practice. And that evolved into my enthusiasm for pedagogical documentation. It helps me see kids ... the way I was seen.
Thank you for sharing your story. Seeing kids, and being seen, are so important.
Amazing read 👏🏽
Thanks!
Keep the connection with me and subscribe 🫂
Thank you for teaching me about glimmers, those meaningful moments I never had a name for, until now.
No problem! Naming it makes it easier to find.
In the fall of 1988 I asked a friend if I could volunteer with the YoungLife club he was leading in the school district of our youth. Waking down into the basement where the meeting was happening, and energy consumed me and I knew I was going to leave banking for a career in education.
My first year of teaching in 91-92 was a bit short of a disaster, and I found myself RIFfed in CO, and soon headed to an alternative boarding program just shy of the Idaho/Canada border.
The relationship-building, reconnecting with potential and success, and healthy doses of unabashed “daring to be a dork” kept me working with “those kids” for 29 more years.
Tho retired from the classroom, I bring that teacher to PT gigs selling bikes and ushering MLS crowds, now. I love that I was a classroom educator, and thank the Creator that I am and always will be an educator at my core.
Chuck, thanks for sharing your story! I love daring to be a dork and how that guided your work with students.
This is beautiful! How much literal and figurative warmth for those kids via the ramen and coat!
I always enjoy your writing even though I'm only homeschooling my two kids and thus not dealing with all the same challenges, and I'm always inspired by your perseverance through those challenges. My partner and I arrived at wanting to homeschool any kids we eventually had a decade before they were born when we were part of the third class of a new engineering college. One friend from that school in particular was largely responsible by helping me step out of the awful constraints of trying to look smart that I had lived within at previous schools: they showed me that being willing to learn publicly is the shortest path to knowing more, that how people (and even kids) learn is not boring or beneath anyone, and that learning, even hard learning, can be a delight when those around us are doing it too.
Becky, thanks for your thoughtful comment! Homeschooling is such hard work, balancing parenting and teaching. It sounds like you have found what works best for your kiddos. I love how you mention that learning publicly is the quickest way to knowing more. So true!
Definite glimmer for me today: “In my teenage brain, and I had only one option: join the circus!” 🤡 Cracked me up!
Nothing makes me glimmer up more than kids. Which means I have to seek them out via volunteering since I no longer have them in my daily life!
So glad to see you finding the glimmers once again!
Thank you! I'm trying my best to stay positive despite all of the stressors.
I think becoming a teacher happened to me in as much as I became one. I just have always loved learning and being connected with other humans -- and with more-than-human nature (which is why I teach about embedding nature connections into mainstream school settings). And teaching and learning are such beautiful forms of connection. And also I've stayed a teacher because it's fun and cup-filling.
Thanks for sharing this journey. Good to remember what brings us together in this world of being educators.
Becca, thanks for commenting! I'm not surprised that your humanness led you to nature and outdoor educational experiences. I'm happy to hear that teaching remains cup-filling for you. I hope to get back to that in upcoming years. In the meantime, I'm going to try to stay positive! Us teachers definitely need to stick together.
I hope you can find the fun! 🦋
Adrian, this essay was glimmer-creating for me. Thank you SO much. I want you to know your story not only touched me and made me smile but also created a sense of wholeness and gratitude for my years in the classroom.
Gwen, I'm happy to hear that my post gave you a micro-moment of joy! Thanks for sharing!