Rationale: After close to 40 years in the profession, I have decided that this will be my last year in public education. I will leave reluctantly. I enjoy teaching; it is my life's work. I have striven to be one of those teachers whose classes students enjoy and learn, and from some of their comments I have been, at times, successful. Teaching (or thoughts about teaching) structure my life and thinking. Whenever I see or experience a new or novel idea, my first question is "Can I use this experience in class?" The second question is "How can I structure this experience so that my students can comprehend the import of the experience and use it to connect with the world?" Teaching often comes down to explaining the same point in as many different ways as possible so that all students, no matter what their experiences, can understand. It seems to me that my attempt to see the world from as many different points of view has been vastly beneficial to my education as well.
And yet...
I notice that I'm not as energetic as I once was. It seems that I have less patience. The stress seems to get to me about November/December rather than the Spring recess. I seem to be looking forward to the holidays with more anticipation than in years before. I do not want to be the last one to leave the dance. I fear that I will be the teacher of whom older students say, "...but you should have seen him teach in the old days..." I want to go out at the top of my game, so to speak. Moreover, at post-60 years of age and in these times, it makes economic sense (although that is a secondary concern).
So...
This will be my last year. I hope to share thoughts, events, situations, explanations, ruminations, etc. with others. To maintain my objectivity; my, my fellow-educators', my students', and my district's privacy; and my expressive freedom; I will not reveal my name, nor my location, nor my students'/fellow teachers' names. In all other ways, I will try to be as forthright as I am able.
That's all for now.
