"Is teaching, like, so rewarding?"

I've been asked many times if teaching is "so rewarding" when meeting someone new who finds out I teach high school students.

The simple answer is yes-- not every day or week, or even month, but every year that goes by there is a sense of reward when a student stops saying, "I can't", or,  "yo, I hate this class", and replaces it with, "I did my work, Miss", and "no cap, Miss, this book is low key good. I'm actually reading it". Every time you get a group of students to get all hyped up about grammar and literary device jeopardy, it's rewarding.

It's also rewarding to run into graduates doing life and contributing to society. I've had this pleasure a good number of times just since being back in the states and living in an area where many of my former students are from. I've met their kids, and they talk to me about the education they hope for their children; knowing how many of them feel like my course benefited them in more than the literal credit they needed to graduate, is rewarding.

More than 15 years ago, when I was just a baby teacher, there was a boy in my class who was so sweet, quiet, and bookish. He wrote thorough pieces for my journalism course and serious personal essays for my College Prep/Senior English course. A few months ago, he invited me to his book launch in Williamsburg, and that felt pretty rewarding in that long-game sort of way! I'm always down to support my grads' endeavors, so I felt honored and attended the event and, being me, had to ask him over the mic, "How did you get inspired to become a writer?" And while I would love to say it was from one of the few courses he took with me, it was not. He was, however, inspired by an assignment in his Global Studies class (shout-out to Josh Adland)! But the best part was when Alejandro saw who was asking the question, he teared up, knowing he had his high school teachers there to support him after all this time. We snapped a photo, he signed my book, and then I enjoyed seeing him accept love and praise in a way I’d seen make him blush and shy away in the past.  I was proud of Alejandro for this accomplishment before reading a single word. And then I did, and pride does not do justice to the range of emotions this grad, this honest-to-God author, took me through with his beautifully crafted novel, Loca. The moments of suspense, love, shame, passion, friendship, confusion, and sadness made this book hard to put down/ stop listening to (I did both).

It’s amazing to watch students find their life’s work, passions, and general love of life. Thank you, Alejandro, for reminding me just how rewarding this profession can be. The same goes for all of my grads that I get the pleasure of running into; you light up my day knowing how well you’re doing in life.