Opinion
Teaching Opinion

Take This Job and Love It—High School

By Mary Tedrow — April 20, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

12th grade English and journalism teacher
Millbrook High School
Winchester, Virginia

In my early teaching days, I sometimes thought of my work as temporary. I imagined other pursuits: toiling in a cubicle following an internship; flirting with fame as a radio personality; raking in quick cash as a bartender; or enjoying the solitude of full-time writing. But during a state sorority dinner honoring my mother, my temporary career became permanent.

Being a rock ‘n’ roll fan, I assumed the evening’s entertainment would be pretty dry stuff. So I was surprised by my own giddy anticipation after a madrigal choir from a nearby high school was introduced. As the students sang, I watched the director lead the obviously confident, talented teenagers. In a flash, a single thought became clear: I love this age group.

By 16, most kids have developed competence in at least one area and have the energy and desire to fling themselves at their newly realized abilities in very public ways. Being their teacher means regulary engaging with soon-to-be adults just as their awareness of who they might become emerges.

What a high school student will risk at the urging of a skilled adult guide sometimes leaves me breathless. They publish their deepest thoughts, sing and dance for strangers, and throw their bodies around on a playing field without fear.

I knew that night, as the choir captivated the audience, that teaching would be my primary occupation. I knew that I always wanted to be part of building students’ self-confidence, skills, and joy in their accomplishments.

That’s my career confession: I love high school students. Sometimes they reward me later in life—by sharing experiences from their own careers, inviting me to their weddings, dropping by with their children. Rarely do they disappoint. But whatever the outcome, I know I have been fortunate to be their teacher.

A version of this article appeared in the May 01, 2007 edition of Teacher Magazine as Take This Job and Love It—High School

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Opinion 4 Ways to Present STEM Role Models Girls Will Find Inspiring
Merely exposing students to female scientists isn’t enough to get them to pursue careers in STEM.
Lisa M.P. Munoz & Eva Pietri
4 min read
Images shows a stylized artistic landscape with soothing colors.
Getty
Teaching Opinion What Teachers Can Learn From Students
Group work can help students make friends and provide a foundation for building future collaborations and relationships.
9 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Teaching Opinion Try These Simple Shifts in Teaching for a Big Payoff
A complimentary call at week's end to a student's family strengthens relationships and reminds teachers of the good in every week.
11 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Teaching This Teaching Routine Takes Just 5 Minutes. Its Impact Lasts Much Longer
It's no gimmick. Greeting students individually at the classroom door has been linked to benefits for both teachers and students.
5 min read
Second grade teacher Kaylee Hutcheson greets her students as they enter their classroom to start their day at Hawthorne Elementary School in Mexico, Mo., on Feb. 14, 2024.
Second grade teacher Kaylee Hutcheson greets her students as they enter their classroom to start their day at Hawthorne Elementary School in Mexico, Mo., on Feb. 14, 2024.
Lisa Krantz for Education Week