After thirty-five years, I have left the classroom. People ask me if it is bittersweet. "Bittersweet" implies more of an extreme duality than I would use to describe my experience of teaching high school. The times when I felt bitter were mainly frustration that many institutional tasks took energy away from my teaching. "Sweet" seems superficial and doesn't really describe the deep fulfillment and satisfaction I felt from watching my students catch the thrill of finding their own discoveries in a text. My own process of learning as I was teaching brought me hours of contentment, reading and planning and making my own discoveries. I did a lot of groundwork to be able to lead discussions that invited my students to have their own creative interpretations, always staying grounded in the text. I am grateful for the hundreds of fascinating students and colleagues I met and got to know through the daily contact in the classroom. They are cool people. They are worthy.
So I prefer to say it's a mixed bag-- a balance of sadness, joyfulness, and gratitude. And now I have time to do other things that make me feel useful and active.
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