There is a lovely retired teacher and writer who I run into on occasion in my neighborhood coffee shop. Last week, he gave me his card and he described himself as purveyor of words. Isn't that just like an author? Describing something everyday and normal in a manner that makes you take a second look so you realize that it is in fact not everyday and normal. Well, this sparked some thinking for me. What do I do? I teach. But that answer doesn't even begin to describe what I do with my students. A teacher just hands off knowledge to her pupils and that is certainly not what I do at all. (Though I must confess, way, way, back, that might have been what I did.)
So I asked myself, "If I don't teach, what do I do?" Well... I help my kiddos learn how to find information, solve problems, and deal with adversity. I help them become caring, helpful, concerned citizens who make the world a better place for others around them. I help them look at the world to find beauty, wonder, and wrongs to be righted. I work my butt off for them because they deserve my best, and they do the same for me! I lay awake at night worrying about them and muddling over ways to best help them conquer the challenges they face. I spend a great many of my waking hours researching, learning, and developing new and innovative ways to help them become better learners and nicer people. But most of all... I love them! Really, I can't help it. They are just there... smiling or scowling at me, imperfect, hoping to do well, having good days and bad ones, making others smile, being naughty. How could I not love all that?
So back to the original question. How do I put all of what I do into one short description, a job title? That seemed to be quite the conundrum. Hmmm... I thought about the fact that teaching, when done well, is truly an art form. So what about an artist? But most art is a static creation once finished, it doesn't continue to grow, change, and develop, at least not in the way people do. So if not an artist what? A chef? A tour guide? A gardener? Yes. That was it! A gardener! A garden, whether beautifully manicured, overgrown, or untended is continually changing and growing... just like my students. The landscaper or arborist can make small changes that will have a lasting impact for years to come, but isn't in complete control. That gardener is me! Those plants are my students! Some are tall and sturdy, with deep roots able to weather any storm. Some are delicate flowers needing some extra care in order to bloom beautifully. Some are the grass beneath your feet, warming your toes on a sunny day. And with some tools, rain, and sun, we all work together to create something beautiful. So it is decided. If someone asks me what I do, my response is that I am a cultivator of minds. I like the sound of that and all that it implies. Now if I can just get the school administration to change my job title...
So I asked myself, "If I don't teach, what do I do?" Well... I help my kiddos learn how to find information, solve problems, and deal with adversity. I help them become caring, helpful, concerned citizens who make the world a better place for others around them. I help them look at the world to find beauty, wonder, and wrongs to be righted. I work my butt off for them because they deserve my best, and they do the same for me! I lay awake at night worrying about them and muddling over ways to best help them conquer the challenges they face. I spend a great many of my waking hours researching, learning, and developing new and innovative ways to help them become better learners and nicer people. But most of all... I love them! Really, I can't help it. They are just there... smiling or scowling at me, imperfect, hoping to do well, having good days and bad ones, making others smile, being naughty. How could I not love all that?
So back to the original question. How do I put all of what I do into one short description, a job title? That seemed to be quite the conundrum. Hmmm... I thought about the fact that teaching, when done well, is truly an art form. So what about an artist? But most art is a static creation once finished, it doesn't continue to grow, change, and develop, at least not in the way people do. So if not an artist what? A chef? A tour guide? A gardener? Yes. That was it! A gardener! A garden, whether beautifully manicured, overgrown, or untended is continually changing and growing... just like my students. The landscaper or arborist can make small changes that will have a lasting impact for years to come, but isn't in complete control. That gardener is me! Those plants are my students! Some are tall and sturdy, with deep roots able to weather any storm. Some are delicate flowers needing some extra care in order to bloom beautifully. Some are the grass beneath your feet, warming your toes on a sunny day. And with some tools, rain, and sun, we all work together to create something beautiful. So it is decided. If someone asks me what I do, my response is that I am a cultivator of minds. I like the sound of that and all that it implies. Now if I can just get the school administration to change my job title...
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