Starting year 41 - a life in education
Monday, August 28, 2017 at 08:05PM 
Today is the big opening celebration for teachers coming back to school. This is the start of my 41st year as an educator. My professional work history includes:
- 1976-1978 (2 years) at Stuart-Menlo (IA) Schools -English, Speech, Drama, Journalism High School Classroom Teacher
- 1978-1979 Grad School student at U of Iowa
- 1979-1984 (5 years) West Branch (IA) Schools - Junior High Librarian, English and Reading Teacher
- 1984-1989 (5 years) ARAMCO, Saudi Arabia - K-9 Librarian, Uhhailiyah and Abqaiq
- 1989-1991 (2 years) St Peter (MN) Schools - 7-12 Librarian
- 1991-2014 (23 years) Mankato (MN) Area Public Schools - Technology Director
- 2014 - present (3 years) Burnsville-Eagan-Savage (MN) Public Schools - Technology Director
I have been incredibly fortunate. Each year has included a learning curve - some years steeper than others. Every year I have felt passionate about my work. At every job I there have been people with whom I have really enjoyed working. I've earned enough to keep the wolf from my door (although there have only been few years when I have not hasd to figure out how earn outside income). My work has not been so onerous that I could not spend time with my family and friends, travel, exercise, and read for pleasure. And blather on in my blog, articles, columns, and books.
Yet each year I have experienced discomfort at times - and caused discomfort in others. I have always managed to piss off my bosses now and again. I've agitated for kids and for libraries and for the good use of technology. Some nights I've gone home worried I would be fired; other nights I've gone home hoping I would be fired. Some nights I've gone home feeling I just might, might have made a difference to somebody, somewhere.
I hesitate recommending education as a choice of career to young people. The work of a classroom teacher has become more demanding, more challenging that it was 40 years ago. It doesn't pay worth a damn. And teachers seem to get less societal respect. But in the end, yes, I recommend a life in education.
I am not sure what more one could ask of a career.
My school picture, circa 1976
Reader Comments (3)
Congratulations, Doug! And great picture. I've worked very hard to bury photos of me from that period in my life. :-)
On a serious note, I agree with your hesitation to recommend teaching as a career for young people. I just read and tweeted about an article on the critical shortage of teachers at the beginning of this school year and all I could think was, "what did you expect?". It's hard to convince bright college grads to accept the challenges of working with children when even the basic rewards like societal respect are missing. I am very proud and happy with my life in education (only 38 years; I'm a slacker), but I'm not sure I could recommend it as you do.
Hi Tim,
Maybe we need to encourage teaching as a career to those whose greatest motivation comes from within, those who do not need extrinsic rewards of either praise or money. Or can we get that recognition from those we teach?
Good to hear from you!
Doug
Snaps for Doug!