On Being A Teacher

 

I stopped teaching formally as of January 8, 2025. This is to say that I retired from the University of Wisconsin system as an adjunct lecturer on that date.

And yet, somewhat suddenly and to some degree to my surprise, I find myself acting as more of a teacher in my world than ever before.

 When I functioned as a teacher within formal instructional settings, my role was prescribed and contained within the dictates and needs of those systems. Many moons ago I was a teacher for a progressive religious program leading their junior high program. After that, I taught a range of English and Communications classes for a high school in Roseville. For about six years I taught teachers in workshops related to the craft of teaching and the opportunities to leverage teaching in that context. For three years I taught a handful of classes to undergraduate students within the theatre program at Minnesota State Mankato. Most recently I taught courses in theatre history and appreciation, and in public speaking and communication fundamentals, mostly to freshmen and sophomores, for University of Wisconsin programs.

 Those roles accumulated just over thirty years of time in the room with students. All of those experiences had differing kinds of teaching modes. It feels as if the overall trend over this time was one in which my role moved inexorably from delivering prescribed content as creatively as possible to delivering whatever the hell I wanted to, also as creatively as possible.

 I remember my very first lesson as a junior high church program leader. We’re doing this (creative, I thought) role playing activity, and at some point in the process one of the students observes, “this is lame”. I was hooked. Because she was right. It was lame. It reflected my attempt to make the underlying lesson relevant, but it didn’t really resonate with the students. God bless her for being explicit in her critique. That’s the best part of working with kids.

 My classes last fall, on the other hand, had almost no element of proscribed content. My freshmen seminar had a range of useful outcomes that were suggested by the system around college life, but I interpreted all of those as they seemed relevant to me. Beyond that, much of our time was spent thinking, talking, and writing about how the students in front of me could be successful as communicators and students. Better people. More satisfied people. Like, what the hell are we doing in college anyway?

 Now, I’m just an old guy that’s done a lot. Well, an older guy. 63 isn’t really old, per se. But I do groan a bit when I roll out of bed.

I’ve started a writing group that meets a couple of times a month. One of the surprises about doing this is the extent to which the folks who show up for this are explicitly interested in the insights that I can provide as someone who is willing to say whatever the hell I think. That, in itself, isn’t really a recommendation. We know people in our lives whose filters are limited. What surprised me was the apparent consensus that my unfiltered appraisal or insights were of value.

Here's the thing. I’m a pretty strong advocate of the idea that we should all be extraordinarily suspicious of the things we think we know. I have absorbed and internalized an ethos that assumes that one’s own beliefs and attitudes are suspect. At the same time, I’ve got some strong opinions. Those opinions are based on a fairly diverse set of experiences. In my heart of hearts, I find my attitudes suspect. but also true. It’s a pretty complete example of cognitive dissonance.

From 2013-16 I was pursuing my Masters in Fine Arts in theatre. One of the things that my colleagues in that program liked to comment on and harass me about was my tendency to say out loud things that maybe others were thinking but wouldn’t say. Quotes by Michael. It was a thing. Prior to that, from 2011-12, in my final year or so of working for the Roseville School District this was also a phenomenon. I was moving on. My exit freed me up to say whatever the hell I wanted in district meetings and department conversations.

I am inclined to say the things out loud that others may be thinking but that prudence and politeness probably should suggest silence. This habit of saying out loud what should be kept internal has become more overt in recent years.

Sometimes it’s a handicap. There are things that I say that I probably could have kept to myself to everyone’s benefit. Sometimes I’m just wrong. Sometimes I may be right but that doesn't make it something that should be articulated publicly. It’s a challenge.

And now? Now I think maybe the time to be circumspect has ended. Like, what the hell am I waiting for? I’ve got shit to say. Perhaps now is the time to say it.

A few specific places where I am looking to say what I know.

The Forst Inn Arts Collective Assistant Director Program. Come and observe a production process and have conversations with me about what it means to be a director.

The FIAC Writing Workshop. Share writing and have conversations about what constitutes effective personal expression.

My personal memoir. Yeah. That’s a thing. It’s explicitly about the process of second order change that led me from working within public education to this moment where I am living a more personally responsive life. I’m working on it. Hope to have it done by the end of 2025.

Life N Art. A new podcast about…stuff.

These posts. Yup.

Final thoughts? Being a teacher is about using your time to share the shit you believe. Know your outcomes. Attend to them. Along the way share the extent to which you are a good human.

Good luck!