The hidden signs

While meeting a couple cohortmates for lunch the other day, one of them brought up a good point. She said something to this effect:

"When I was teaching at the elementary level, it always seemed like the heat was ON. The pressure was literally up to my chin, and I was suffocating under it. Now that I'm in high school French, it's so much more relaxing. So much more fun. I mean, this is what it's supposed to be. Teaching is supposed to be enjoyable."

Yes. Teaching is supposed to be enjoyable. It is supposed to be fun. Mr. B used to say that to me all the time.

Losing the fun in teaching is such a hidden sign. It can sneak up on you and lead you into denial. You ARE having fun, you say to everyone, including yourself. It's just the paperwork, the testing scores pressure, the parents, the ADHD student who desperately needs meds. It's just that there is something preventing the fun from surfacing, that's all. And that's the danger.