From This Teacher’s Daughter

The ‘From the Teacher’s Family’ issue was recently published on the iTDi blog with posts from Rose Bard, Matt Shannon, and Ayat Tawel.  These authors share posts about how being a teacher affects our families and what our job means to those living with us.  The posts are well worth reading, filled with both the ups and downs with being part of a teacher’s family.

To prompt the posts, iTDi blog curator Kevin Stein gave each author a series of questions to use in interviewing a family member. He also shared the questions in the iTDi Community Newsletter in case anyone else wanted to share their own family’s stories, which makes it a not-exactly-official, but really fun blog challenge.

Kevin’s wife answered the questions on his blog in From this Teacher’s Family. My daughter is now 25, but I spent much of her childhood teaching English at home, so I asked her to answer the questions. Here are the questions, and her answers. If you want to participate with your own post on this theme, please leave a link in comments here and I’ll forward your post to Kevin so he can add to the iTDi archive for this topic.

1) What are three good things about having a mother/sister/wife/daughter who is a teacher?

1. It’s pretty cool to watch your mom in action at her job all the time. 2. Teachers have to be extremely patient and encouraging, and you were the perfect example of both with me growing up. 3. Flexible schedule! (Or long summer vacations) so that you were around all the time.

2) Were there ever moments in your life when you wished I wasn’t a teacher? Please tell me about it.

I’m very introverted in some aspects so sometimes it would bother me that you had class so many afternoons after school when I just wanted to relax and be alone, not see friends I knew from school.

3) Was there ever a moment when you were very proud of something I did as a teacher? Please tell me about it.

When I first moved back to the US in 6^th grade, word got to my school that you were an author/teacher, so they invited you to teach the 6^th grade English class for the day. I was young and worried that you would embarrass me at my new school, but afterwards all my classmates told me that you were awesome. This is one of the times that made me realize my mom is a rockstar.

4) How do you think me being a teacher has made life more complicated for you?

It hasn’t really made it complicated – other than me having to give up my personal space for some afternoons. But that wasn’t a big deal.

5) Do you think I am well suited to be a teacher? Why?

100%!  I don’t know anyone better than you at teaching. You are an amazing speaker, so persistently cheerful, and always patient with students. And you genuinely care! You believe in every student. There is a reason why so many people want to learn from you, even other teachers.

6) What other jobs do you think I could have done or should have done?

Probably anything. I think if you are able to successfully teach a class of rowdy elementary school kids then you can tackle pretty much anything else. But being a teacher is definitely the right fit for you!

7) Why do you think I became a teacher?

I think it was a natural career choice due to your major.

8) Why do you think I am a teacher now?

I think you realized you were good at it, and enjoyed it!

9) How would our lives change is I stopped being a teacher tomorrow?

Dad would be more persistent about me having a baby. Haha.

10) Do you have a message you would like to give to teachers around the world?

There may be rough days, days where you want to quit, but remember that though teaching may be an exhausting and extremely tiring job, it is one of the most important in the world!

11) Do you have a message you would like to give to family members of teachers around the world?

Be proud to have a teacher as your family member! Their job is not easy and they could probably be making more money elsewhere, so the fact that they choose to teach shows so much about their character. I am lucky enough to have two as parents. This meant for me that growing up I had my parents around all the time, and all my memories include them and the good times we had together. I will always be grateful for that!