I am a teacher again!

“Those who can -- do. Those who can't -- teach.” H.L. Mencken, American journalist, essayist, magazine editor, satirist, acerbic critic of American life and culture, and a student of American English (Wiki)

Up until a few years ago I used to teach adult education computer classes. I taught classes at my job when we were converting to a computerized medical system. I did it for a year in the local high school and then for three years at the regional high school. They were beginner’s classes, mostly older people who had little or no experience with a computer. Their common tale was that they were given an old computer by their son, daughter other relative and wanted to find out about what they could do. I literally introduced dozens of people to things like email, WORD documents and excel spreadsheets, and the internet. I really enjoyed it very much and was happy that I was able to affect some change in people’s lives. But then I lost my leg to a bone infection and things changed for me.

The last few years have been difficult medically for me, including a deformity in my good foot that has led to 3 ulcers that took months to heal and needed skin grafts, and swelling during the summers that made it difficult to wear my prosthesis. But Mrsfabp kept after me and I found a good foot specialist who really saved my good foot with some surgeries and the skin grafts, and a cardiologist who got me on a good mix of medications and got me away from too much sodium (although I know I can be better about that) and I had the best summer health wise in the last 5. And this got me thinking about how much I missed teaching.

With some encouragement from mrsfabp again, I called the evening ed program director who was very happy to hear from me and who offered me a position on the spot to get back into the swing of things. It helps that not many people want to work with beginners on computers (student: what is this thing? Me: a mouse. Student: is it connected to this box thing? Me: Yes, we call that a computer…) and they are in need of teachers. So I am a back up for this semester, if they fill up one class and have enough overflow for another, and get to design a class or two on my own for the spring semester. I am thinking about doing a class about starting a blog.

Now, if I can only get them to understand that the CD ROM drawer is not a cup holder…

We don't need no education
We dont need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone!

“Another brick in the Wall"
PINK FLOYD


(In honer of my renewed status as teacher I have included two of my favorite FAR SIDE cartoons to celebrate!! ENJOY them too!)