Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you wanna do with your life; the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives; some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t. ~Baz Luhrmann
I embrace my quirks. I consider it a great compliment when my colleagues comment that I am unorthodox or unusual. A refreshing breath of fresh air, some might say.
Because I work with low progress students, I firmly believe that some form of rote learning is necessary. If they have vacuum in their heads, they won’t be able to apply anything. I think my view has some validity. English teachers are sometimes opinionated, given our affinity with the language. I am prepared to argue for my view until the cows come home!
In a recent work view, my Reporting Office straight-out told me that the notion of drilling won’t sit well with other educators, especially if I am aspiring to be a Senior Teacher in the future. It seems that people have preconceived notions of how teacher mentors should behave. The things they advocate. The strategies they apply like clockwork on their charges. She basically implied that if I keep on saying things like rote learning, I can kiss my dreams of being a teacher leader goodbye.
My boss meant well, and I’m not in the least offended. Nonetheless, as someone who is very (some might say, too) comfortable in his own skin, I don’t know if I should tweak certain aspects of my personality to fit the mould of what the fraternity is looking out for. I don’t see anything wrong in calling a spade a spade. But my boss suggested that instead of rote learning, I could use widely accepted lingo like repetition of high utility words. You know, stuff like that that makes me look enlightened.
I just feel that the higher-ups should be able to accept me for who I am, if I am deemed capable enough. I don’t think I will want to accentuate certain more teacher-ish aspects and am quite willing to remain as a Happy Ordinary Teacher (HOT) till my retirement. Still, my boss asked me upfront: if I am adamant about not changing my ways, I would probably remain at the same level 10 years from now and draw a mediocre pay compared to my peers (and even juniors). How will I feel about that?
I have to confess that I don’t know. Being true to my beliefs and showing my authentic self vs polishing a professional facade and gunning for the money. I don’t know if there is a balance I can strike between these two ends. Is this something that bothers you as well? Your perspective is welcomed!