The Case for Teaching

It is easy to get down about teaching.  It is easy to believe that the job is thankless, but I still find it amazing, and here are some of the reasons why:

1.  Teenagers are ...fun.  The kids that I teach still get so exited about things.  From music, to prom, to Starbucks - they exhibit an unbridled enthusiasm for so many things.  They introduce me to new memes, music, YouTube videos, fashions, and slang - and it is often hilarious.  Not yet jaded, they appreciate levity and fun, and continue to actively seek it.  That teenage ethos is 100% contagious, and constantly helps me see the wonder in my day.  It is both a challenge and a gift to channel their enthusiasm into curiosity about history, and global connectivity.  But that is what keeps me coming back.

2.  Teaching history forces me to constantly read, learn new things, and just...get smarter.  The thing about teaching high school kids is that they will challenge you.  So, because my business is teaching history - I have to be so on my game.  If I mess up a fact, or mispronounce a name, or incorrectly spell a term - they will let me know...immediately.  Thus, I have to work hard to make my students believers.  I have to sell it every day - and I love it.

3.  It makes me more compassionate.  Working with these kids, and seeing them everyday - has increased my capacity for compassion.  Though instilling rigor is crucial, I find myself most interested in how my students feel each day.  Are they happy?  Do they feel sick today?  Is there joy on their faces?  Seeing the ups and downs of a teenager's life throughout a ten month period has grown my heart, and inspires me to be a better person.

4.  I need to be creative, and teaching enables me to do it.  Whether it is coming up with new lesson plans that get us outside of the four walls of the classroom, or designing new t-shirts - the culture of my classroom demands that I push creative boundaries.  I love being surrounded by 20 - 30 creative people daily - who have an expectation for excitement.  This makes me excited each morning, and I am grateful for the opportunity.

5.  Academic wrestling is fun.  Introducing and engaging in conversation about the impacts of the Green Revolution, decolonization movements, or the rise of feminism is invigorating.  It encourages me to see new perspectives, and listen with an open mind.  I love hearing what students have to say about topics that they are hearing for the first time.