A Job I Get To Do: Reflections After Two Decades of Teaching

     Several years ago at a family wedding, as I found myself gathered around a table with aunts, uncles, and cousins I don't often get to see, my cousin Ryan started to talk about his job as a music agent. Ryan lives in New York City and is living the "dream." He meets famous people on a daily basis--big stars who walk the red carpet in Hollywood and sing in swanky New York City concert venues. He spoke of his job with a twinkle in his eye and a look of utter awe, "I can't believe I get to do what I do every single day," he said.

       I smiled and said, "And I can't believe I get to do what I do every day, too." Everyone sitting at the table laughed at my comment, thinking it was laced in wit and sarcasm. After all, how can teaching teenagers ever compare to my cousin's job as a music agent, dealing with music legends? As my mom continued to ask Ryan what musicians he had met, I wished someone would ask me about my students--what their interests are, what their sense of humor is like, how smart they are, how their quirks entertain me. I wished that someone realized how serious I was that I get to do what I do every single day.

          After all, teaching is not a job I have to do but one I get to do.

      I've tried to maintain this attitude in all that I do. In doing so, I realized that the things I would be quick to complain about are suddenly not really worthy of complaint anymore--even when there's a sink full of dishes waiting just for me, even in my job as an unpaid Uber driver for my kids, even in the moments when that unpaid Uber driving leads us to their restaurant of choice--Taco Bell.

       And I guess that's what I want you to think about as you begin this school year. Think about what you get to do this year, not what you have to do. School doesn't have to be a chore or a hoop to jump through or even a rite of passage. Become educated just for the sake of learning, not for what it's going to get you later in life. It will get you places--I promise.

So here's what I hope you get to do in Room 211 this year:

1.  I hope you work hard. Try your best.   Know that it's okay to make mistakes. That's where true learning occurs. I want you to read the books and write and rewrite generously.  Approach things with grit and determination, with passion and desire. Don't just show up; be fully present.

2. I want you to connect with others in the room. Like any classroom, my classroom is a community. In order to be a part of the community, you need to talk with one another. I remember observing a class a long time ago, and the students didn't even know one another's names...and it was May. Get to know one another. Reach out to that kid sitting by himself. Be kind.

3. Get to know me. Know that I am an Beatles fan, but they are not the only band who makes the hairs on my arms stand up when I hear their music. Know that in my eyes, there is nothing more powerful than a handwritten note or a good book or a smile and that most of my ideas for lessons are done on my daily 5:20 a.m. runs (Yes, I do get up that early).

4. I hope you are happy. Know that success is directly derived from happiness. Talk to me if you are stressed or overwhelmed. Know that happiness can't be found; it's in you.

5. I hope you live one percent better than the day before. Two years ago, I introduced this idea to my students--a class of 30 seniors who I wanted to motivate to be better, kinder people. This changed them for the better and more importantly, it changed the way I look at my job as a teacher. Since then, that's been my goal. Yes, I want to make all of you stronger readers and writers, but I also want to help make you better people.

       As you begin the school year know how very much you matter, how serious I will take my job, and how very excited I am to be your teacher. Allow 211 to be a home to you at Atlee. I've been doing this job for twenty years now. Two decades.

 1997, my first year teaching

 2018, twenty years later

 So much has changed in those two decades (Although by the pictures above, I still have continued to talk with my hands). Students are more involved and have greater expectations placed on them. They collaborate so much more and are challenged to think critically and be creative. Cell phones have gone from not being allowed except for at lunch to being used as tools in the classroom.

     This year, I have the amazing opportunity to teach in a new classroom--a Classroom of the Future. Thanks to a grant from the Hanover Education Foundation and its Executive Director Margaret Hill, my classroom has dry erase tables that can be reconfigured differently depending on what we are doing. I have a class set of laptops. There is a green screen for video projects and ten iPads. As my students, you will be able to collaborate and experience a twenty-first century learning experience.

While all of this will change the dynamic of my classroom for the better this year, one thing still remains constant: the love I have for teaching and how very passionate I am to get to do this job every day.  Know I make the choice every day to get to teach you. It never is something I have to do. As you start the 2018-2019 school year, I hope you ask yourself what you will get to do this year and then figure out what you have to do to get there.  For those of you entering Room 211 for the first time, welcome! For those of you I taught last year, thanks for returning for more! Remember I believe in you and want to help you grow as a reader and writer and person.  Remember that you matter and are the reason why I get to teach every single day.