Being a teacher ...

Eric Svendsen teaching Nicola Twa about her camera.

I have been a teacher for thirty years, well actually much longer than that.  There is the occupation of "teacher" which requires a certain amount of education and experience, both job and life.  This usually involves significant post-secondary schooling, in-class experience, and a significant amount of soul searching.  Then there is the layman's teacher, what all of us really are, at least when it comes to contributing to our society and those we care about.

I have always enjoyed helping others overcome obstacles.  It was part of my DNA as it were when I was a scout leader.  It was there in my persona as I worked with handicapped campers.  It clutched my heart when I helped fellow students with their math or chemistry assignments.  All of the roles I have played in my life have been involved with making a difference in the lives of others.  Although my roll in school as a trained professional was to impart curriculum to the masses, I think that it was through interpersonal relationships where my impact was truly felt.

Teaching is less of a career and more of a lifestyle.  And don't think that I am saying that I have obtained some amazing level of proficiency as an educator; the more I taught the more I understood that there is so much more to learn.  This has nothing to do with memorizing facts about the universe we live in or about the number of scholarly letters after my name.  It has to do with the nature of being human.  I want to be a better human, and I want to help others do the same.

I think this is the true mark of a teacher.  Not someone who is proficient at some academia, but rather someone who is willing to use their experiences and knowledge to bolster and encourage, even shape, the lives of others.  All to the end of making a difference.  I have a job which I do, which is presenting curriculum and implementing school board policies.  But I have something more important than that; I have to teach.

Thanks for reading.  Eric Svendsen   www.ericspix.com