Are You a Teacher? You are!

NEW! Now you can LISTEN to this article, read by the author. Click HERE: The Scrawling Shepherd reads "Are You a Teacher? You Are!"


Teaching? Yeah. This week I've had a recurring thought. I am a teacher. It isn't simply my occupation, my job. It's a large part of my identity. In fact, it doesn't even matter if I don't have a classroom right now. Or whether or not I have a class roster, or an attendance book, or even a grade book. I am a Teacher. And, (this is really what has me thinking HARD), because I AM a teacher, IF I AM TALKING, I AM TEACHING. Corollary: EVEN IF I AM NOT TALKING, I AM STILL TEACHING. Now the question is less about WHO am I teaching, and more about WHAT am I teaching? If anyone reads my posts on Facebook or other social media: what are they learning FROM me? What are they learning ABOUT me? It's quite astonishing to think that I learn a lot about people by what they post, share, like on Facebook. Makes me stop and think about what I post, share, like on Facebook. Right?

If I encounter someone OUT THERE, in the world outside my four walls, what am I showing them? Am I showing them Fear? Am I showing them that I am foolishly disregarding all advice about limiting my social interactions, maintaining a safe distance? Hopefully, with a smile and a wave and a nod, and maybe, if we're both moving slowly enough, a friendly exchange of some words.

Hey, think about those people who are your students. I spent some time recently with one of my grandsons. He doesn't watch the news. He doesn't know about COVID-19 or social distance or any of the other things that most of the rest of us are thinking about, talking about, worrying about. Whenever I'm around him, I'm definitely teaching. And, strange as it may sound, today, he was teaching me, too. Life is still happening. It's different right now. For sure. It's almost the end of March as I'm writing this. April Fools Day is just a few days away now. It's going to be April, and really Spring! The sun is going to shine. The temperatures will get warmer. And this present thing will eventually be over, and the next thing will begin.

May my teaching reach beyond this present grim moment and look ahead to the time after this time. There's a lot more to learn, and a lot more to teach.

Class dismissed.