Is it for the money? 😂😂😂
Oh, you actually need me to answer that? Yeah, it wouldn't appear so.
FYI: No one - at any time or place - has ever entered the education field for the money. And if you wish to argue the point, send me to the person you know who HAS done so...I'd like to offer him or her a tissue to wipe the tears.
Is it for the glamour?
After all, the hours are 7-3 with weekends, holidays, and summers off. Well, here's how I've spent my Saturday since 6am.
Now, I know you want to see one picture, top to bottom, of the whole stunning ensemble, but I just don't think you could handle it, sorry, dears! And isn't my husband one lucky (kind, understanding, possibly-going-blind) fellow?!!?
To accompany my stylin' threads, I had a double-dose of caffeine...
...and one (embarrassingly small) portion of the plans I need to create and the papers I need to grade:
So...glamour? Nope, not that either.
Is it for the extra time to myself and with loved ones?
Brian and Grace took a multi-hour visit to his parents so I could work, so I haven't really seen my family this weekend, which also explains why I have no pictures of them from today.
As for time to myself, my respite from the marathon work session was the occasional 90s dance party in the midst of the steady stream of music pushing me through the papers.
The numbers are correct since I just let the music play continuously. Seriously -- marathon work session with sporadic dance moves which, conveniently, escaped being captured on screen. Imagine that!
Oh, and if you're laughing at my humble/retro/vintage/on-its-last-legs iPod...remember, it's not about the money! 😉
Okay, it's not money, glamour, or free time...so what is it? It's relatively easy to explain why I don't teach; it's not as simple to explain why I do.
Here are a few of the things that occurred while on the job within the past week:
A student from last year stopped to visit and thank me for encouraging him to take AP English this year because he loves the work he's doing.
During a fire drill, a former student - two stairwells down from me! - heard me laughing and stopped his descent to yell UP the stairs: "We always know if you're with us!" while shooting me a thumbs-up. (SIDENOTE: If you've ever heard me laugh, you understand. If you haven't heard me laugh, I'll spare you.)
Two current students stayed after class to share pictures of encounters with cast members from The Walking Dead and to get ideas for a zombie-themed birthday party, including the one girl's costume as a dead bride.
Another student built me a lounge seat out of textbooks and novels so I could be comfortable while watching student presentations. And by the way, it was delightful!
I have students (former and current) who call me mom, who drop in to chat, who ask about my family daily...I could spend hours sharing stories about the amazing kids with whom I have the privilege to work.
And what's more? I work with other professionals who do the same things for the same reasons: it is not just a job, but it is a passion.
So why do I teach? I'm afraid if you have to ask, you probably won't understand.
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