Fawn M. Brodie, a biographer and professor of history, once said that 'housework is a breeze, cooking is a pleasant diversion, putting up a retaining wall is a lark but teaching is like climbing a mountain'. A mouthful I must say, but very meaningful nonetheless. She seems to cleverly sum up everything I want to say, except housework is not a breeze!
I must confess that I agree that teaching is really like climbing a mountain. There is nothing easier. Being a teacher, I am always confronted with students' lack of interest to study, burdened by loads of work decimated by my superiors and mounting pressure from parents who want their couldn't-care-less children to excel in their academics.
When I am confronted with such a situation, I go back to Brodie's quote that says 'putting up a retaining wall is a lark' because it actually is a hoot. With such a situation there is no wall thick enough that can separate a teacher from these conditions. Sad to say, a teacher's only choice is to accept the situation and face it head on.
If that fails, I once again go back to Brodie's quote; 'cooking is a pleasant diversion', because that is what I do when I am stressed. I can't put my finger on it, but I always feel a little bit better after I have baked a Walnut Mocha Cake. I seem to fall into a daze as I go through the motion of weighing the flour, butter and sugar; mixing the ingredients, baking the cake and smelling the vanilla as the aroma of freshly baked cake overcomes the whole house! The ultimate joy is eating the cake after it is baked!
Talk about having ones cake at eat it too! If that does not help you to release your stress, I don't know what will!
No comments:
Post a Comment