Every year for career day at school I dressed like a teacher when I was growing up. I think my mom and I were both lazy in picking an actual costume because dressing as a teacher meant putting on a Sunday dress, borrowing mom's pearl earrings, and I already wore glasses. I assume I told mom I wanted to be a teacher each year. I'm not sure, but in the end, that was all I'd ever dressed up as until fifth grade when I was a marine biologist. (A career aspiration that lasted only until the next year when I discovered I loathed science.)
It's funny to think I spent my childhood dressing up as teacher and now I dress up like one everyday. Well, minus a Sunday dress and adding a monogrammed polo and khakis. More humorous than that is when I started college there weren't two paths I was certain I wasn't taking: medicine and education. I suppose it really is funny how things change.
Since college, and even more so recently, all I've thought about as far as a career is one that inspires people. I always thought the best way to do that was through my writing.
This morning I realized I have two careers that inspire. Well, of course only one of them is legitimate with a paycheck and all. (For now, anyway). Ok, so maybe one is a career and one is a tool, but both are inspirations.
Teaching isn't always inspiring, but I think it is always encouraging, and with that, I believe, comes inspiration. Sparking something in your students brings the inspiration. And I can't lie and deny that a large portion of my inspiration doesn't come from the students inspiring me.
I know I'm only 25, but even at this young age, I can feel my age. The further we grow in life, the less naive we are. And as hard as we try to not be sucked into the negatives of the world, sometimes it's inevitable. Regardless of how childlike I act and feel some days, I'm still not a child. But my students are. The five year olds still have total innocence. The middle schoolers are realizing boys and girls maybe don't have cooties. And my high schoolers are learning that there is more to the world than what mom and dad let them see.
At the end of the day, I need my students more than they need me.
In five days I will go home to Louisiana for the first time in 10 months. My boss is worried I'll decide to stay. Meanwhile I'm worried something will go wrong with my multi-entry visa and I'll be trapped in America. That being said, I have decided this is the career for me. I don't know if I will always want to teach a younger level, to a foreign crowd in a foreign country, but I know when I'm 50 I'll still be teaching in some form or another (as long as someone will have me).
A friend's friend was going to quit her job teaching for something out of the education field. My friend said they were angry because the education system has such a lack in good teachers. I rebutted with saying there is also an increase in teachers who teach simply for a paycheck. You don't want teachers who teach because it's their job. You want teachers who love it. Teachers who feel guilty about disciplining little Timmy when he's naughty but do it anyway because they see his potential. That is why there is a decline in good teachers.
Do what is your passion and the riches will follow. I know everyone says that, but let me explain.
People become far too consumed with riches and possessions instead of chasing their passions. If you go to school and land a career; fantastic! If you hate it; quit and start over! Stop fearing it.
I'm lucky I chose writing as my career because I can do it anywhere. How? Because I don't write fiction. I write about thoughts, encounters, moments, ideas and other humans. Fortunately, being a nomad I'm exposed to all of these things daily. I can create an entire blog based on one image on the subway or an entire story based on something one student said.
Not everyone can just up and pack their bags, I realize this. But everyone can quit a job they hate, change their major several times or take a leap.
