Teaching

Yesterday I received a letter from an ex-student of mine. Today, while I was out shopping, I met an ex-student, who I hadn’t seen for a long time, and we talked for quite a while. Last week I had coffee with a couple of ex-students.

Several things come to mind as I think about this;

I am so blessed in the job I do – I learn so much, I receive so much joy, I gain so much wisdom and so many friendships from the students I teach.

It is only by giving a little of ourselves that we receive and I receive so much from the little I give. Last year at a Conference in Darwin I heard a woman talk about the importance of sharing ourselves with the young people we teach. I have learnt how true that is.

Sometimes it is hard to be vulnerable with students – to apologise, to say you got it wrong, to give a bit of yourself that seems to fall on deaf ears. Sometimes it is easy to want to pull back - to exercise power instead of humility, to teach them rather than learn with them.

It is easier to share with some students than with others. Then I remember that some students find it hard to get on with me too!!!

Over and over again my passion for writing has been re-ignited by students. They have challenged me, hounded me, expected much from me, and so often I have taken up my pen (or opened my computer) because I know I can’t expect them to write if I don’t! They are always so generous with their critiquing of my writing!

I am so blessed in the job I do!

As a new year begins I am reminded that there will be new students to get to know, new students to learn to love and appreciate. Sometimes I find that hard, I just want to stick to the ones I already know. Then I think about all the joy and learning and marking and worrying I will miss out on.

It has been good catching up with ex-students in the holidays. Each one of them spurs me on to keep going into this year of living dangerously.