When I started work as a teaching aide in developmental English classes at a community college, I didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, it has been an interesting experience and a source of inspiration for several pieces of creative writing, including the essay "Striving for an F," which appeared this month for the first time in College Hill Review. Since its publication, friends have emailed me links to very recent articles on this topic in the national media. For the record, I wrote this piece in December of 2008.
I've been both surprised and chagrined that when people who've only seen me in the classroom find out about my many other creative activities, they are surprised. Why should they be? My skills far exceed those needed for my job, but they must know that a person is not his/her job. In this world, many creative people struggle to earn livings in jobs far removed from the activities that nourish their souls. It may be difficult for Americans to isolate the person from the job, but I hope they might be educated to do so.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment