thoughts on teaching

In my Shanghai apartment, I have a wall with pictures of the teachers and children at PS 161, the elementary school in New York City where I taught for 3 years. (Yes Gabby, the collage is most definitely the centerpiece :) ) As I was putting together the wall, I reflected on just how much of a family I had acquired through my workplace. There was something about us that kept us together - maybe it was a shared insanity (yup that's definitely it!). Or maybe it was the pressure we were under, or our common passions, that made us band together. Even now, on the opposite side of the world, I still feel that having that friendship is a huge part of who I am, who I have become since I started teaching.

Here at the university in Shanghai, though things are different and nothing can compare to the ridiculousness that constituted my work life in NYC - both positive and negative craziness! - I have realized one thing: there is still a community here that I am becoming a part of. It certainly took a while, and I am not completely at home yet in this foreign country, but what always makes me feel at home, ever since day 1, is this: my work. Which brings me to realize, for the first time really, that regardless of my personal critics, I chose the perfect profession for me.

As my Chinese friend and colleague Jia Jia says when I tell her stories of the U.S., "People in the world are all the same." Actually, I think she's right. Maybe I'm just lucky in terms of the kinds of situations that I choose or am put in, but in general, the education world is a good world to be a part of. There is no mistaking that. The teachers I get along with, and ultimately become friends with, are those whose personalities, likes, dislikes, and views of the world are similar to mine. So, yeah, ok, there are maybe a handful of such people in the English department here. But, if you think of it in general terms, good teachers all share a common work ethic, professionalism, and sense of responsibility. So no I'm not really friends with the grumpy British guy who I've seen yelling at students of his who are grown men, and who never says hello to anyone in the mornings. But he works damn hard and takes his work seriously. That I can respect.

Clearly, the lot of us didn't become teachers for the salary. We didn't become teachers entirely for our personal benefit. We became teachers for the benefit of others, because we are able and willing to dedicate ourselves to those who need our help. We became teachers because we care, because we love. And for the past few years, I have been surrounded by people like that. So am I happy? I sure am. Am I lucky? I think so.