Monday, July 14, 2008

Living in the Shadows



Mr. A teaches across the hall from me. He's old enough to be my father and looks like a sprightly Teddy Roosevelt. We're both outgoing and share a love of writing, so we have started a tradition of walking together to and from class to talk about our successes and failures that day. Mr. A always gives me a clearer perspective on things, offering solid advice on everything from curriculum to behavioral problems. Plus, he can swear like a sailor, which comes in handy when I'm looking to vent.

On our walk back to the parking lot last night, Mr. A said, "You know, this job is different from most jobs, because the longer you work the more idealistic you become. Most jobs, it's the other way around."

He's totally right. When I first started teaching, a "good" day was a day in which nobody got into a fight and I was able to speak in front of the class without trembling. Now, a "good" day has so many factors. Did the students demonstrate real learning? Did they have fun? Did I transition smoothly between activities? Did the students connect with one another? Did I get the sense that they were excited to come back the next day? Only if the answer to all of these is yes do I call it a "good" day; everything else is just "okay".

I feel like the more I learn about teaching, the more experience I get in the classroom, and the more real progress my students make...the more I feel like I'm not doing nearly enough. I want the class to be better, better, better. In some ways, this is very exciting--as if the job is a calling rather than a career--but it's also exhausting, both emotionally and physically.

So, why does teaching inspire such Pollyannaism? Take a look at this link to ABC World News with Charlie Gibson's report on illiteracy in America. It's three videos, starting with an interview with a former ESL student. The second two feature a woman who describes struggling through life before taking literacy classes. They both talk about the shame and challenge of not being able to read, as well as how much better their lives are now. You can also read the print version of the show here. It pretty much sums up all that is wonderful (and terrifying) about this job.

(Thanks to Liz and Steve for the links!)
image credit: ABC News

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