Teaching and Reading

No fishing reports for the past two weeks. We did have fall break this past week and the weather was incredible, but we took the time to make a fast run to OKC to see our son and then back to Denton to preach again this morning. Not sure when I'll be on the water again.

Meanwhile, on Friday morning I picked up Frank McCourt's latest book, Teacher Man, and immediately proceeded to inhale it. I've read McCourt's earlier books (Angela's Ashes and Tis), but this volume is by far the best book of his three. I suspect my valuation is due to the subject (teaching, teachers, and students) and the timing (I had two days completely away from the office and work). But in any event - all you teacher friends out there - you ought to check out this book:

From the end of "Teacher Man," his reflections on thirty years as a High School English teacher:

A young substitute teacher sat beside me in the teacher's cafeteria. She was to start her regular teaching career in September and could I offer her any advice?

Find what you love and do it. That's what it boils down to. I admit I didn't always love teaching. I was out of my depth. You're on your own in the classroom, one man or woman facing five classes every day, five classes of teenagers. One unit of energy against one hundred and seventy-five units of energy, one hundred and seventy-five ticking bombs, and you have to find ways of saving your own life. They may like you, they may even love you, but they are young and it is the business of the young to push the old off the planet. I know I'm exaggerating but it's like a boxer going into the ring or a bullfighter into the arena. You can be knocked out or gored and that's the end of your teaching career. But if you hang on you learn the tricks. It's hard but you have to make yourself comfortable in the classroom. You have to be selfish. The airlines tell you if oxygen fails you are to put on your mask first, even if your instinct is to save the child.