Friday, February 22, 2013

Galeano Love


Eduardo Galeano, The Book of Embraces

Contradict Myself...

Coming out from a blogging hibernation...

In fact, I went back to the classroom for a few weeks.  My former employer had a need for someone to fill-in for a sick teacher and I took the offer.

I did go in holding my breath.  Having just enjoyed a one-semester break from teaching, I wasn't certain I'd be ready to leap back into the grind. When the alarm jolted me awake on on January 14th (my personal 1st day of school) I grimaced and thought, 

"WHAT AM I DOING??  
This was my year NOT to teach!  
I needed a BREAK!  I like my FREEDOM!"  

But, in truth, I had a great time.  Teaching is fun.  It's hard work, it's exhausting, and it can be frustrating...but it's a pretty cool gig if you like young people and good ideas.  I taught the graphic novel Persepolis to freshmen, Things Fall Apart to sophomores, Glengarry Glen Ross to juniors, and The Book of Embraces to seniors.

It was like joining and leading four hardcore book clubs that met 5 days a week.  I loved it...and I'm going back for more on Monday.

I've always liked Walt Whitman's insightful quip, "Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself; I am large - I contain multitudes."  It's a quote I frequently drop into letters of recommendation for my students.  

But this year it seems fitting for me.