Hi Denise,
I am going to miss you a lot, and yes, you have inspired me and others on level I , II and III . I hope you are OK. Everything happened so suddenly. We didn't have chance to say goodbye to you. There wasn't class last Thursday.
I've known you since the Summer of 2009 when I was on level I and you use to teach. I have good memories!
I hope keep in touch with you. I sent you a request to be a friend on Facebook, but I did not find you on http://www.tea-with-dee.blogspot.com. Have a nice weekend.
Best wishes,
the Student
The Teacher's Long, Winded Response
Yes, you're right, it all happened so fast. It always does. The new Executive Director surprised me by offering me the teaching position back. Your professors, my friends and colleagues, made a convincing plea on my behalf. I am humbled by their credentials, their experiences, the respect and commitment they have for the students and each other. There is an amazing transformation of language skills that takes place in one year. I'm simply awed watching this process unfold and witnessing every ones success. So I'm taking the weekend to make a decision and structure it as a win-win for everyone.
I have a passion for teaching English to adults, like you. You inspire me. I really love what we all do together in the classroom. I know the faculty and the students are aligned as one. However, there have been a ridiculous amount of changes to the program in the nearly 2 years since I first became associated with it. It's my belief the Executive Director is a gifted and experienced leader and professor. She has been right in both of her decisions about me, to let me go and then to invite me back. I must confess though, I felt an immediate sense of relief to be "relieved of my duties as a teacher". It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders. That's a sure sign to step back and reassess the entire situation.
Honestly, the truth is I'm still recovering from a serious, lingering health issue - a very long and deep depression episode, that required me to be (partially) hospitalized for four weeks this summer. This has never happened to me before. I continued to teach, against the advise of the medical professionals. It was a risk I took to fulfill my obligation to both the class and to a contract. But it takes a very long time to heal from a hospitalization, much longer than most people would expect or believe. For the wounds are invisible to almost everyone. With this disease, the joy of what you're doing, the joy of living, really gets sucked out of your life.
A full recovery of my health and well being is my first priority. As a single woman, it takes longer and is more strenuous without family or devoted caregivers. Fortunately, I'm blessed with wonderful, loyal girlfriends with an amazing capacity for love, compassion and simple kindnesses. They helped and supported me during my recent hospitalization crisis. To paraphrase Morrie, in Tuesdays With Morrie, he wouldn't know how he'd ever cope with his disease, ALS, without his devoted, attentive and giving family. Too many people with psychiatric diseases and disabilities know intimately about what's it like. They understand and feel this absence intensely. We learn to cope the best we can. It's time for me to rediscover the joys of living that ignites passion and creativity.
I have the weekend to think about the challenges ahead, to review the past organizational events and the resulting instability, including my own. Writing to you has been a very cathartic experience that silences the little chatterbox in my head.
Where I've discovered the best decisions are made, is in the heart of serenity, peace and gentleness. That's my focus this weekend. That, also, means I remain open to more surprises!
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share "tea" with you. I hope you don't mind if I post it to Tea With Dee.
You're amazing! Keep on reading! Thank God, it's a long weekend! I hope you enjoy it, too!
With warm wishes to you,
the Teacher
Denise
PS. Hopefully, this will initiate some comments.
No comments:
Post a Comment