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April 28, 2007
Down Memory Freeway
Sometimes you get the chance to take a step back in time. I did this week.
I had a friend to meet in Anaheim, California. Our meeting was on Tuesday evening, and I could have chosen to fly down Tuesday morning, but there were a couple of other people to see. It just made more sense to go down Monday evening.
I had arranged for a car in order to get from one place to another. I didn’t need much, a compact would do. I expected a Ford Focus, but it seems they had run out of them. Aw. Would I be willing to take a new black Ford mustang instead? Gee, it was hard to turn that down. I didn’t.
My morning schedule got moved to the afternoon, so I had a morning free. Here’s where the time travel came in. I started teaching in Huntington Beach many moons ago. I always go to schools when I visit anywhere so I decided to find several of my old teaching assignments.
My first two stops were the last two places I taught, my second and third schools. They were still there, both with a few more pieces on the playground than I remembered. I didn’t stop. I just sort of soaked in the memories of children, families, teachers and administrators I’d know there.
The last stop was the first school where I taught. I was 21 years old when I started. Right out of college, I thought I was ready for the world. I knew everything and nothing at the same time. As I sat in the parking lot Tuesday morning, looking at the additional 10 plus portables and the numerous classes of special ed students now at the school, I just remembered. I felt the scary first few days. I thought about one student in particular I knew was given to me because I was the new kid. Dexter needed a great deal of help and was a catalyst for me going into special education.
I had a couple of classes I needed to take so I remembered running from school clear to heck and gone to take the required California courses. Being from out of state, I knew next to no one when I started. Taking classes at least let me meet a few people other than the teachers in my new school.
As I thought through the years to today, I realized how many wonderful experiences I have had. I’ve met wonderful people, had children teach me how to teach them, worked on legislation, and in some small ways changed not only the course of learning, but more importantly sometimes perhaps the course of someone’s life. Those I’ve met certainly have changed the course of mine.
Most people don’t talk about going into education for the money or the power or the prestige. We go into it because we love learning and teaching. We want to make a difference. I have had the opportunity for almost 40 years to do exactly those thing-learn, teach, and make a difference.
It was a wonderful trip. I didn’t expect to have the opportunity to reminisce, but I was very glad I did. I’d only wish for my own kids or anyone else’s that they have the same kind of joy from doing the work they choose to do that I have.
Posted by Dr Joni at April 28, 2007 06:47 AM
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