Lately I’ve been noticing a similarity between writing and teaching—you set out to do something great with some ideas of the strategies, tips and tricks, but in the end there is no formula for greatness in either. There is no way to predict how I will do that day. In the end, there is an intangible combination of heart, soul and mind that need to come together to find your voice for brilliance in that moment as a teacher or as a writer.
And then, there is this quote from Junot Diaz, author, winner of Pulitzer Prize for Fiction–you could read ‘teacher’ in place of writer. Or maybe I just stop worrying about the labels altogether.
“A writer is a writer not because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, or because everything she does is golden. A writer is a writer because, even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of promise, you keep writing anyway.”
Please. Teachers, keep teaching. We need you.