Teaching

I don't recall exactly when I began wanting to be a teacher.  My grandmother was a teacher.  I remember how proud I was, at age 4, to stand on her desk at school and be introduced to her class.  Perhaps that's when I first wanted to be a teacher.  Maybe it began when I read the "Little House" books.  In any case, whenever I thought of what I would do when I grew up, I thought I would spend at least some time teaching.

Life took its twists and turns and initially I did not enter the educational field.  After a few years in the business world, however, I wanted to do something "meaningful."  I decided to pursue a Master's degree and my dream of teaching.

I approached my first days of teaching with some apprehension.  One never knows how one's dreams of something will compare to reality.  Could I really do it?  Fortunately, my first week was fantastic.  I LOVED it!  Certainly it is a challenging job.  But what can compare to seeing a student "get it"?  Or watching their lives change for the better, in part because of what they learn from you?


Over time, I've learned that teaching doesn't just happen in the classroom.  As I've taken students on retreats, marches, and overseas, I've had a chance to listen to students open up about their lives in ways that don't happen in the classroom setting.  I'm always amazed by the teachable moments that come from those interactions.


Teaching is exhausting work - physically, emotionally, and spiritually - but it is certainly rewarding work!