And in the End

Tomorrow, I will be helping with the last Freshman Orientation of my career.  That's right, after over 40 years of going to a school ever day, this time next year I will be on the outside looking in.  And I have to admit that it really is bittersweet.  I know that there is so much that I want to do that is outside the walls of a school, but I just hate to leave the kids.  The paycheck was welcome all these years, but seeing the light come on in a bewildered face cannot be duplicated in any way.

Last week at the usual training before school starts, we viewed a video called "For the Love of It."  The premise of the video was that those of us who enjoy what we do are motivated to do our work intrinsically.  I know that is true, but I also know that as I looked around the room, no one except administrators had  a raise in the past three years. There is little hope that will improve much in the next few years. I worry that the love these educators feel for their profession will be shattered by the fact that they can no longer afford to be teachers.  Gradually, I see more and more of our young people turning away from their chosen profession.

There are plenty of places to put the blame, and that is a discussion for another day.  What is really important is that the number of teachers available for public schools, charters, and private schools is diminishing rapidly. A very good thing about my retirement is that the school system can afford to hire two and a half teachers in my place from my salary.  

First blog entry is complete.  A week from today, the countdown starts.