There's No Such Thing As A "Former Teacher"
Who Am I Now?
Perhaps you feel that teaching’s been
The feature that’s defined you,
And if so, you might hesitate
To leave that place behind you
To enter a non-Brave New World
Where age is trumped by vigor,
And no one cares how much (or whom)
You know out there. (Go figure!)
?
Perhaps you wonder how you’ll fill
Those minutes, hours , weekdays
Without the classes, meetings, trips,
And yes- of course-the school plays.
You might be thinking, “What about
The kids next year?” It’s true:
There will be kids, but someone else
Will be in charge... not you.
So....
But rest assured. One day you’ll find
It’s really not so bad.
Despite uplifting memories
Of all the fun you had,
There also were in-service days,
And parents, and the rest,
All topped off by the Ultimate:
The Teacher Torture Test
That’s known in academia
As “Standardized Whatever.”
(Just think: You’re done with teaching to
Those dreadful tests....FOREVER!)
Don’t ever think “retirement”
Means walking out the door
Away from all you did, and thought,
And who you were before.
For education isn’t just
The core that helps define you;
It also is the impetus
That serves to realign you.