In spite of the fact that some people are trying their damn-dest to make teaching so difficult and pay so poorly that I can no longer in good faith recommend it as a career, my 36 years teaching remain the most wonderful and rewarding of my life. Thank you Peter for doing such an amazing job of shining a light on the good, the bad, AND the ugly!
It wasn't a conscious decision, but I have started smiling at strangers more. Many notice and begin to smile a bit themselves. I've also started to notice things like brightly colored hair or nails and I say something like "Nifty nails" or "Nice hair" and almost everyone says "Thank you" in return. There was a man in our town who waved at everyone and we all learned to greet him. He died last year and I decided to take over his job so when I'm dog walking, I wave at almost every car that passes and I greet other pedestrians I encounter. It's so much fun to see them smile and return the wave or the greeting. If there is someone who responds positively on a regular basis, I often ask their name so that when I see them I can greet them by name.
In spite of the fact that some people are trying their damn-dest to make teaching so difficult and pay so poorly that I can no longer in good faith recommend it as a career, my 36 years teaching remain the most wonderful and rewarding of my life. Thank you Peter for doing such an amazing job of shining a light on the good, the bad, AND the ugly!
It wasn't a conscious decision, but I have started smiling at strangers more. Many notice and begin to smile a bit themselves. I've also started to notice things like brightly colored hair or nails and I say something like "Nifty nails" or "Nice hair" and almost everyone says "Thank you" in return. There was a man in our town who waved at everyone and we all learned to greet him. He died last year and I decided to take over his job so when I'm dog walking, I wave at almost every car that passes and I greet other pedestrians I encounter. It's so much fun to see them smile and return the wave or the greeting. If there is someone who responds positively on a regular basis, I often ask their name so that when I see them I can greet them by name.
I’m a teacher. Thank you for this beautiful reminder and encouragement.