Unit3WhyITeachPeterG.BeidlerEveryteacherprobablyaskshimselftimeandagain:Whatarethereasonsforchoosingteachingasacareer?Dotherewardsteachingoutweighthetryingcomments?Answeringthesequestionsisnotasimpletask.Let'sseewhattheauthorsays.Whydoyouteach?MyfriendaskedthequestionwhenItoldhimthatIdidn'twanttobeconsideredforanadministrativeposition.HewaspuzzledthatIdidnotwantwhatwasobviouslya"stepup"towardwhatallAmericansaretaughttowantwhentheygrowup:moneyandpower.CertainlyIdon'tteachbecauseteachingiseasyforme.TeachingisthemostdifficultofthevariouswaysIhaveattemptedtoearnmyliving:mechanic,carpenter,writer.Forme,teachingisared-eye,sweaty-palm,sinking-stomachprofession.Red-eye,becauseIneverfeelreadytoteachnomatterhowlateIstayuppreparing.Sweaty-palm,becauseI'malwaysnervousbeforeIentertheclassroom,surethatIwillbefoundoutforthefoolthatIam.Sinking-stomach,becauseIleavetheclassroomanhourlaterconvincedthatIwasevenmoreboringthanusual.NordoIteachbecauseIthinkIknowanswers,orbecauseIhaveknowledgeIfeelcompelledtoshare.SometimesIamamazedthatmystudentsactuallytakenotesonwhatIsayinclass!Why,then,doIteach?IteachbecauseIlikethepaceoftheacademiccalendar.June,July,andAugustofferanopportunityforreflection,researchandwriting.Iteachbecauseteachingisaprofessionbuiltonchange.Whenthematerialisthesame,Ichange——and,moreimportant,mystudentschange.IteachbecauseIlikethefreedomtomakemyownmistakes,tolearnmyownlessons,tostimulatemyselfandmystudents.Asateacher,I'mmyownboss.IfIwantmyfreshmentolearntowritebycreatingtheirowntextbook,whoistosayIcan't?Suchcoursesmaybehugefailures,butwecanalllearnfromfailures.IteachbecauseIliketoaskquestionsthatstudentsmuststruggletoanswer.Theworldisfullofrightanswerstobadquestions.Whileteaching,Isometimesfindgoodquestions.IteachbecauseIenjoyfindingwaysofgettingmyselfandmystudentsoutoftheivorytowerandintotherealworld.Ioncetaughtacoursecalled"Self-RelianceinaTechnologicalSociety."My15studentsreadEmerson,Thoreau,andHuxley.Theykeptdiaries.Theywrotetermpapers.Butwealsosetupacorporation,borrowedmoney,purchasedarun-downhouseandpracticedself-reliancebyrenovatingit.Attheendofthesemester,wewouldthehouse,repaidourloan,paidortaxes,anddistributedtheprofitsamongthegroup.Soteachinggivesmepace,andvariety,andchallenge,andtheopportunitytokeeponlearning.Ihaveleftout,however,themostimportantreasonswhyIteach.OneisVicky.Myfirstdoctoralstudent,Vickywasanenergeticstudentwholaboredatherdissertationonalittle-known14thcenturypoet.Shewrotearticlesandsentthemofftolearnedjournals.Shediditallherself,withanoccasionalnudgefromme.ButIwastherewhenshefinishedherdissertation,learnedthatherarticleswereaccepted,gotajobandwonafellowshiptoHarvardworkingonabookdevelopingideasshe'dfirsthadasmystudent.AnotherreasonisGeorge,whostartedasanengineeringstudent,thenswitchedtoEnglishbecausehedecidedhelikedpeoplebetterthanthings.ThereisJeanne,wholeftcollege,butwasbroughtbackbyherclassmatesbecausetheywantedhertoseetheendoftheself-reliancehouseproject.Iwasherewhenshecameback.Iwastherewhenshetoldmethatshelaterbecameinterestedintheurbanpoorandwentontobecomeacivilrightslawyer.ThereisJacqui,acleaningwomanwhoknowsmorebyintuitionthanmostofuslearnbyanalysis.Jacquihasdecidedtofinishhighschoolandgotocollege.ThesearetherealreasonsIteach,thesepeoplewhogrowandchangeinfrontofme.Beingateacherisbeingpresentatthecreation,whentheclaybeginstobreathe.A"promot...
