For the Love of Teaching

For the Love of Teaching

 I was a teacher for more than thirty years-a most noble profession. Teaching involves creating an ever-expanding family of kids and parents and grandparents-people you will never forget, people that you come to love.  It is a profession that observes every special day of the year. It is a celebration of missing teeth, new puppies, sports trophies, grandparent’s visits, new sneakers and the excitement of learning-to read, to write, and to create a classroom family.

 Through the years hundreds of students had passed through my classroom door, all memorable all part of the fabric of my life. It was Justin that stood by the closet and didn’t want to go home for vacation- it was Nell who taught me that clothes didn’t have to match to go together, Bryan and I shared a love of fishing and he gave me a new tackle box, Lily reminded me that a hug was an essential ingredient of every day, Devon encouraged me to just get up and dance. There were the brave, the shy, the sensitive, the quiet, the loud, the challenging, the funny, the kind-all coming together each day -living, loving and learning together.

 No two days were ever the same-each day was fluid and moving-full of determination, triumph, rejoicing and occasionally some tears. Teaching is an occupation that inspires constant thinking, creating, recreating and purpose. It keeps you on your feet all day and burning the midnight oil at night.  It becomes part of who you are-it reshuffles your DNA to create a person uniquely aligned to his/her profession. Teaching is not something you do; it is something you become.

 My daughter now grown; wonders how I could ever stay in one place so long-how could I travel to the same building day after day. But I must say I feel truly blessed to have been called to this profession. We have all heard the expression - “those who can’t do- teach” but I must say after spending more than half of my life teaching, that “those who teach can do almost anything!”

 Retirement came and offered me a chance to spend more time with my aging mother and more time on personal pursuits. Many of us rush toward retirement without a plan-thinking that each day off would somehow seem like Saturday-or Sunday or a snow day! Some have hopes of second careers, travel, home projects but then comes a day that you wake up and get a sense that every day feels just about the same. Your DNA must shuffle once again as you create a plan for the great unknown that lies ahead.

There’s rarely a day that I don’t miss the classroom, the importance of the work we all do there. There isn’t a day that I don’t miss being a part of something so grand and important. But I have settled into this next chapter of life and fill it with reading, writing, creating and music. It is more quiet and reflective-a time for long walks and new dreams. But I must say that my heart still skips a beat when I pass the old school building, and a smile or a wave from one of my past students lifts my heart. It’s a tiny moment that says something so important -it simply says-

“I remember you!”