How work changes!
Many times we are fortunate enough to start doing something that we love and see ourselves doing forever.
Some are lucky enough to do that their whole careers.
I have a friend who was teaching second grade in Green Bay, WI. I recall her pride and enthusiasm with bringing books into their lives and encouraging them to read at home.
As bizarre as it sounds, over the years and the parents of the second graders began to change, in a mostly negative way, the effort she had to put into getting them to read ballooned enormously, and then even resistance on the part of the parents complaining to the principal that this ornery teacher was making them work at home.
An amazing loss. Her last two years were no fun. You'd not think that fear of being attacked by one of the kids at that age range was even within the realm of possibility or in a movie script, but she was frightened by a few with outbursts.
I'm all for enlightened teaching, but to have few support mechanisms and little effective communication with some of the parents is disheartening.
In my work as a Family Medicine doc, I spent more time that I ever imagined listening to patients' complaints about hating a job, no reward in going to work, and feeling trapped.
In the long run, it is best to listen to your inner compass and while you want to teach, and you must work, try doing what you can to regain the setting of rewarding experiences again, as difficult as that sounds. It does indeed happen for some, and I hope you are one of them.
When I moved here 40+ years ago, I never heard of a murder or major altercation reported on WCCO news, until one night with great solemnity Don Shelby began the 10 pm report with a story about a homicide. Now it seems, all too much like the war reports from VietNam, we get numbers of shootings, murders or altercations since they are no becoming routine.
I fear that our civilized society is suffering a loss, for whatever reasons, and while your job teaching and inspiring, especially in the sciences, becomes a significant challenge, draining the exceptional people away from where they are needed and could shine a few decades ago.
Peace, listen to your inner voice, and indeed keep us posted.
Dale
