A Clarification on Teaching

A few of my readers (I'm so grateful to have readers!) have commented a few posts ago speculating on my take concerning teaching, etc. Here goes:

Last year was my second year of teaching. There was a lot of outside pressure with different evaluations (which I passed, but I tend to worry about ANY measurement of my performance) and a lot of changes sent down from above once the school year had already started. I began to think about finding another profession, that I was finished teaching. In January, I got a call from someone who offered me some money to present a four hour course for teachers who were about to take the PRAXIS Exam in Social Studies. I told her I'd do it, though in my burnt-out state, I did little to prepare. I was selected because I had scored highly on the test, so I guess I kind of knew what I was going to say, anyway.

Well, I got in front of this crowd of about 20 teachers, and just got going. I had worn a sweater to the place because of the cold, but an hour into it, the sleeves were pulled up and another hour later I was sweating so much that the sweater came off and I was teaching in a t-shirt. All I had was a piece of chalk, a board, and my voice, and as much as I hate chalk - it was all I needed. As I was driving home, I realized that there's nothing in the whole world I would rather do than teach. I wouldn't be happy doing anything else. When I had conditions that allowed me to be carried away with the sheer ecstasy to sharing knowledge with a captive audience, I felt more alive than I had in a long time.

So, basically, yes, it's the conditions and the strain of working for an unpleasant person in the midst of a faculty that is demoralized due to lack of motivation by said unpleasant person and students who are allowed to run wild because no one expects any better of them. I have faith that one day, I will end up in a school or university where I will fit in and I will find a proper outlet for my enthusiasm...

Until then, I'll be around, holding out my hands to a roomful of idiots.