Letting Go

I've had a teaching license since 1974. It was a lifetime license, first in K-12 music, then Instructional Technology and finally Elementary education 1-6. But starting June 14, I've made the decision to let that go.

As a young, inexperienced educator, I was fortunate to have some exceptional mentors, although they weren't called by that name. The people who helped me find my way as a teacher were my colleagues in neighboring classrooms. When I was frustrated by my inability to manage behaviors, or I was clueless in how to help a child, they were there with suggestions borne of their own experience. But more importantly, they were there to listen, to commiserate, to just be.

Our respect for each other was born from friendship and trust, and while I was the "kid" of our teams, they also did not reject my ideas or suggestions, some of which were not-so-bright. Those educators who I looked up to encouraged. They allowed me some freedom in which to experiment and find my way so that my pedagogical practice became reflective of me.

But now, it is time to let go. Oh, I still feel a burning passion about all things education. However, in many ways, I almost do not recognize my chosen profession. The constant, and in my view unhealthy, monitoring to prove that your teaching is

It's been a hell of a ride, my teaching career.