Fatherly Advice
Be yourself, because someone has to, and you're the closest.
Since it is Father’s Day and I have cats, not kids, I thought I would pass on some of the best advice I received from my father.
When I had decided to go into education (elementary education to be specific) I recall one evening standing in the driveway with my dad and having a conversation about life. I don’t recall the exact words (my faulty memory) but I do recall the gist which I have carried with me ever since. He said that becoming a teacher would be hard. That people would think I was throwing away my potential. That they would try to convince me to do other things. My dad advised me to stay the course. If I really wanted to teach to ignore everyone else and follow that dream. I could tell he was kind of wishing he either had been given or had followed this advice when he was my age. He said something to the effect that if he had done what he wanted he’d be in a cabin in the middle of a forest as a Park Ranger. Something after years as a Scoutmaster I could see him doing. He instead had done what had been expected- went from a degree in Science to an MBA, getting a job and raising a family. I don’t think he regretted his choices, but we all second guess ourselves. Having read enough Science Fiction I know this plot line all too well.
During college I got the typical teasing by friends about how I wasn’t taking hard classes. That I really wasn’t going to do anything to be a success. I started off as an Education major and never strayed from that path unlike so many people who changed their majors more often than they changed their sheets. Some are still trying to figure out what they want to do when they grow up. Funny thing, my alma mater no longer offers a degree in teaching. I’m guessing because teachers don’t have enough money lying around to have buildings or fountains with their names on them.
Then again 35 years later I finally decide that my time in a classroom is over. I’d had a good run, and enjoyed a lot of it. I wasn’t wealthy, I wasn’t famous, I wasn’t powerful, but I was happy with my life. What I had accomplished, and what the future would bring. Understand this was prior to the current political situation in the U.S.- Halcyon days of unbridled optimism.
So my fatherly advice to anyone is this-do what you love and live within your means. Unfortunately, to do what you love you may have to change your lifestyle to do it. I was raised not with a silver spoon but more like a silver ladle. Fortunately, I discovered an expensive lifestyle is not my thing. It’s not important to me. I knew going into the public schools that I wouldn’t have a lot of money, but with the right choices I’d be able to live comfortably and be happy. I’ve ignored or avoided a few of societal norms for my generation, made some tough choices. All in all I’ve been pretty happy for an old curmudgeon. That’s what my father wanted for me when he gave that bit of advice so many years ago. Thank you Dad & Happy Father’s Day.
"One-half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it." - Sidney Howard (in basic economics it’s called “opportunity cost”)
Bruce's Father Day comments should be read by every student (and Father and Mother), it states quite well how to be successful! However, Bruce, as he does, understated the importance of teaching - you have our future generations in your hands more hours a day than their parents. Your students' brains are sponges and you fill them with how to learn various subjects and ways. (The way you learn English is much different than how you learn science or math). Teachers teach you how to learn and Bruce did that formally over many years exceptionally well and continus to this day. Very, very proud of my son Bruce (and Sue) in their lives and accomplishments (in case you couldn't tell!)!