Becoming A Teacher To Become A Writer
One of my facebook posts…
About eighteen years ago, I quit teaching school. I was a fourth grade teacher. I became a teacher solely to become a writer. I did not have much confidence that I would make it as a writer and I did not want to starve to death in the interim or live in a dark basement apartment with rats.
I told myself that I would write after school and on weekends, and in between I’d wear something conservative, brush my hair like a normal person, not swear, and teach math, reading, writing, etc.
I ended up loving teaching school. I loved my students, their parents and, especially, the teachers I worked with, many of whom I’m still in contact with today. I left when I was pregnant with twins, was the size of a small rhino, had very bad pregnancy complications, and had a chatty three year old at home.
So, the other day I found out that two of my former students, (two of my favorites!) Nathan Gordon and Meredith Gordon, got married, had a son, and have another one on the way. They were lovely people then, and are lovely people now. Their whole story just warms my ole’ heart…
And it reminds me of the teaching profession and how fortunate I was to teach with the amazing/smart/interesting men and women that I did for those eight – ish years and the impact that my best teachers had on me and on my life. Most especially Bev Kerns, my journalism teacher, who dripped red pencil all over my work when I was in high school, and spared no criticism, but who taught me how to write.
Teachers and students and the impacts they have on each other…what an incredible profession it is. Sometimes I still miss it, I really do.
PS Nathan and Meredith, you have to tell everyone that I was your favorite teacher or no recess!
