I am a teacher at heart. I have taught for ten years, mostly at the high school level. I teach the social sciences and love every minute of it, except of course the late nights of at home grading. That is certainly outweighed however, by the roll of the dice that happens every morning. You can never predict with certainty what any given day will bring you. I think it is inevitable when you are working with people who are dealing with social pressures, school demands, raging hormones, and all bring thier own personality to the table. I have to admit, though, the best lessons often are a product of the unpredictable behavior of the students. The trick is to run with what you are given, but in the direction of a lesson. I love seeing thier creativity and curiosity come through.
As much as I enjoy teaching, I have traded in my typical roster of 120 daily students for two. I am currently a stay at home dad. Please do not utter the phrase Mr. Mom. I hear that all too often and feel it really underminds working moms and dads who take on a new type of responsibility. My buddies initially joked about how great it would be to hang around home all the time, and they would do it in a second. However, usually when the jabbing ends I will hear from them personally that they don't think they could actually handle thier kids full time. It is difficult at times, and can make one feel segregated from adults who get to talk about professional issues and grown up things instead of being immersed in childhood play and stories. But I am aware that this time in my kids lives is going to come and go before I know it, and when it does, there will be a classroom of students much like the ones I walked away from to go home.
I have a seven year old daughter, and a three year old son. I have been at home since my son was born. When he began talking, he preferred an animated, drawn out, "DaaaaDooo" to the typical DaDa. It sounded hysterical, but he had no idea how entertaining it was. Or perhaps he did, and that is why it continued for so long. It has been an amazing few years with them. I feel truly fortunate that I have the opportunity to spend this time with them and see them grow, rather than just provide a house and food and usher them around. My wife, although grateful that one of us is home, is envious. I try to keep this in perspective at those challenging times and remember that at least I am not grading papers.
2 comments:
I have to tell you that it's that roll of the dice in the morning that you so aptly described it keeps the job interesting and challenging. After teaching for 19 years, almost all of them at the secondary school, I know a lot about what you're going through. Thank goodness the two little ones you have at home will keep you focused, stable, and sane.
I hope I did not misrepresent my thoughts. I enjoy the 'roll of the dice' aspect of teaching. As I was growing up and trying to figure out what I might want to do, there was one thing that I was sure about. I did not want my job to get boring. Mission accomplished.
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