To be an educator or not to be an educator? That is my question.

Last night, I attended an awards dinner for a friend of my mother and someone I really admire. Seated at the round table were people who have their ears tuned to the pulse of the community and the who's who of our city. During the course of the salad and warm rolls, the discussions centered around past and present accomplishments. Recollections of what I did before I became a teacher, the things I did in high school and college (undergraduate) and after, became a major part of the conversation for one guest at the table.

Well, let me explain my history to help you understand the question. In middle and high school I was heavily involved in forenscics and debate, competing and collecting blue ribbons with trips to Madison for state tournaments. In college I majored in Mass Media Communications and performed with a theater group before crowds of hundreds. I was the assistant editor and editor of our campus' literary magazine, a DJ on the college's radio station (which aired on campus and in the next city over)and had a successful internship for a well respected community newspaper here in Milwaukee. Many people tried to encourage me by saying that I was going to be the next Oprah Winfrey, something that for a while really provided me with a great sense of pride. As a young person, I thought this was my calling.

This is why one of the guest at the dinner table asked me the question, "So do you think you will ever go back? DO you think you will get back into Journalism...write again?" Wow, I said to myself. They really don't understand or maybe I really don't understand how to convey my thoughts. I truly loved my previous career path and when I pursued the goals of being a media personality it was my passion. Press conferences at city hall, interviews with major newsmakers and seeing my name in print or hearing it in the air was very exciting. I thought I was destined for great adventures and accomplishments in the world of big news.

Fast-forward ten, fifteen years later. More mature, less vain and a different philosophy about what is important to me. I am a teacher who dedicates most of my time to working in a school district that offers more challenges than glamour. I teach in a school district that serves children who rely on their teachers to be more than a teacher. Our students rely on us to be their connection to a world outside of their own, to be their cheerleaders, and often to be their advocate. For my students I also want to be a positive role model.

So do I miss the career I had before teaching? I can't really say that I do. When I have something important to say, something that require me to get ink under my fingernails again, then I will write as a published writer again. For now, I believe the world has enough people doing what I use to do, but we don't have enough good teachers. My question is who would like to join me? I get to the best of both worlds... I write everytime I grade a paper and perform theatrics everyday I am in my classroom. My students and I travel across the world using technology and we share awesome adventures together. To be an educator or not to be an educator? That is the question...does any one who knows me have to really ask? Be an educator.