Several months ago, I was talking with my mom and somehow ended up in a conversational review of my life, beginning from the week I finished high school to present day. The conclusion: mostly, it’s chaos. My observation to my mother, however, was that despite the evidence, I continue to expect that life is going to go back to normal (read: easy) tomorrow (or next week/month/year). After laughing at the asininity of that purview, we decided that the most important takeaway is that I need to adjust my expectations (that life should be “normal” most of the time) to more accurately reflect my experience (sit deep, heels down, and hang on, because it’s a wild ride on a more-or-less continual basis)!
Thanks to the tumult of my most recent career adventure, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on my teaching experiences, and noticing a similar kind of dichotomy there. Taken holistically, I have over a dozen years of experience, and may even be tempted to claim expertise; in light of a traditional classroom context, I’d place myself on a level playing field with a first-year teacher.
