Tonight's Poet Corner: Introspection

So. I learned a lot during this particularly rough week of work.

I learned that not being trusted makes your job a lot harder.

I learned that the way I approach my students' work is integral to how hard they work.

I learned that Julius Caesar, which in my opinion is one of Shakespeare's easier plays to understand, is still pretty inaccessible to a lot of sophomores.

I learned that I can't be too lax. But I also learned that I can't be too strict.

I learned that, based on where I am in my job right now, I do not have the independence or the leeway to make my own decisions without outside approval.

And that's okay. I'm learning to accept that.

I learned that sometimes, my expectations for students are very different from that of their parents', and that it's intriguing to see other teachers' strategies with the same individual I might be struggling to reach.

I learned that sometimes, a blemish on your face is just that - a blemish. Most likely a seborrheic keratosis. It's shaped like a heart, guys. It's so cute that I don't want it to be cancerous.

On a related note, I learned that it's really nice to have consistent healthcare again.

And perhaps most importantly, I learned that I can still balance my work with my greatest passion.

Last week, I started my third TV/webseries project, titled, Goza. I'm not going to get into details here, as it's a project I take very seriously, but I am really looking forward to creating something that spans more than just a few episodes or one season. It's really invigorating to be writing for myself again, working on something long-term and improving more and more as a storyteller.

It really does help my ability to teach when I am working on the very things I'm attempting to get my students to improve on. And it means a lot to have that time to write. Sure, there will be moments in which I won't have some days to write, and that's okay. This all proves to me that I still have the ability to be personally creative. And that means a lot.

I've been creating or participating in a lot of other projects as well, some orchestrated or run by friends and colleagues. I can't share details now, but I'm looking forward to being able to reveal what I've been doing as time passes. I'm really excited for what is to come, and I'm glad that I'm able to achieve (for now) some equilibrium between my teaching and my writing.

Of course, I'm saying this before the second yearbook deadline. But hey, I get a whole week off for both Thanksgiving and my high school reunion, so I ain't complaining.

I hope you all also have a wonderful holiday. Have a great night and a great weekend, everyone.