Vocation

A couple of weeks ago, I read the book Let Your Life Speak, by Parker Palmer. What a fantastic little book. Last year in The Teaching Craft class, we wrote response papers on the theme of vocation. I wrote with great certainty that not only was teaching not a vocation, but that there really is no vocation for anyone. I would just like to say, I was wrong! Of course, the caveat is that I was wrong because Palmer gave me a new definition and it is one with which I can agree.

Throughout the course of my adult life, I have had numerous jobs and ministry positions. While I have always complained about a lack of fulfillment, particularly in the field of pastoral ministry, one thing has been true. No matter what job or task I take on, I invariably end up using it as a conduit to teach. Teaching is not so much what I do as it is who I am. I love exploring new areas of knowledge with others, be they children, teenagers or adults. There is no rush quite as great as the one that comes when the lights come on in someone's eyes after helping them discover a truth that is new to them. There is nothing in the world like the "aha!" moment.

These two months in a classroom, gaining valuable teaching experience, have done nothing less than confirm my love and passion for teaching. I am honestly not sure what it looks like in the future. Still a little uneasy about the prospects of college teaching...it could kill my family and finances...but I know that whatever career path I pursue from here, teaching has to be at the heart of my occupation. Why? Because "teacher" is more than what I do; it is who I am.