In my admittedly novice attempt to keep with social media, I have been discovering how so many individuals are posting lists of “gratitudes” as a way of getting their life ready for the big holiday season. I thought that was a great idea. I feel very blessed – in my home world AND I feel very blessed to work at Douglas Anderson – a great place and even greater kids in an environment that doesn’t judge and fosters new approaches and new ways of thinking. I would like to follow suit. I would like to commit the next set of blogs before Christmas to all of the things I am grateful for as the addict to a theatre classroom
Today I find myself grateful for a group of students that understand that I am a human and that I will have some good days and a few bumpy ones as their teacher. I am certainly NOT going to be discussing my personal life with students – – but it is nice to know that they respect the idea that I too have some days better than others. It is a mutual respect game. I will cut you some slack some days and I so appreciate the days that my lecture may ramble a bit to the side here and there. I understand that you are the students and I am the teacher – but ultimately we are all here in a room for 80 minutes every other day because we both love theatre. We read plays about the intricate workings of the heart as found in literature. We get to read about the good, bad and ugly in the world both past and present. We got it good!
I am always surprised to hear of the difficult, sometimes deplorable conditions that face my students each and every day. I am amazed that they are able to get ANY homework or find their way to school EVERY day. How do they do it? Yet they do. I am not sure if I could have done it – but they do. I am grateful for the commitment they make – especially in their young life to make school and specifically the study of theatre a priority in their world. It makes my time in the classroom rather magical. For this, I am grateful.