Today is Day 21 of the March Slice of Life – the daily writing challenge hosted at Two Writing Teachers.
T is for Teacher
I knew from a very early age that I wanted to be a teacher. I would line up my dolls and hold school. When I tried that with my brothers it did not go so well.
One of my first summer jobs was a playground supervisor. I planned activities, supervised 20 – 30 children each morning and loved it.
On my first day of teacher’s college, the dean said that we would be lucky if 50% of us found a teaching job when we graduated. I was determined to be in the 50% who found a job.
And I did get that first teaching job – in the NWT, where I stayed three years, teaching kindergarten, gr. 2 and home ec.
My second job came after a year of looking back in Ontario. I was a single mom by then and with a two year old I headed west to Alberta to take a grade one job in a farming community on northern Alberta. I had to go where I could teach.
Back in Alberta several years later, I got teaching jobs with three different boards, finally ending up in Brantford where I ended my teaching career, after 36 years. I had taught kindergarten to grade 4, ESL and even adult ed classes.
After almost four years of retirement, I still miss teaching. I miss the students, the interactions, the daily reading of books, the laughter, the special projects.
I still think of myself as a teacher and I probably always will.
Beverley A Baird 