I really have to go now....

My plane ticket to Turkey is going to be purchased tomorrow. It still doesn't feel real. I've wanted to go for 3, almost 4 years now, and it looks like I'm really going!

Teaching

When I talk about my job search, people frequently ask me if I've thought about teaching. Those who know me, know I've actually been a teacher - 4 years in 3 different schools. So, I'm like "Yeah...been there; done that." I've got a teacher mug, "Teachers have class" coasters, and even a denim shirt with "McCullough Faculty" embroidered on it.(which I wear to prune my rose bushes, since it's about the only thing that protects me from the thorns.)

So, what I want to know from these people, is are they just making an easy answer, or do they truly see something in me that says "Teacher"?

If it is an "easy answer," why do people think teaching is easy? Just because a person is smart, does not mean they have the gifts to being a good teacher. Good teachers are good planners. They know how to break information down into digestible segments. They vary their presentations of that information to reach each individual learner. They have the patience to re-teach. They have the enthusiasm both for their subject, and the growth and success of their students. They truly care about each and every student, regardless of background, abilities and attitudes.

There is an old snarky aphorism that says that, "Those who can* - do; those who can't - teach." Well I would also say that usually those who can*, usually can't teach.