No Autographs, Please

Yesterday after work I drove to UC Irvine to speak at the Future Teacher's club meeting. A former student of mine is an officer.

I was flattered when he called me. He suggested the topic of classroom management, so I wrote my Ten Commandments for New Teachers, threw it onto PowerPoint, made come copies, and jumped in my car.

There were about ten students in my audience, and they were very receptive, and laughed at the appropriate times. Not many questions, but then they're students in an education program, and don't have much experience to base questions on. Anyway, we were at it about an hour, and it was fun for me. I even received a UCI travel mug as a gift for my trouble. Call it an honorarium.

It's a bit odd coming to this point in my career, mentoring student teachers and being treated as if I have something worthwhile to say. But I guess fifteen years gives me some experience to draw on, so I have to readjust the image I have of myself from fresh-faced apprentice learning his craft to grizzled veteran who knows the game and is a mentor to the younger, fresh-faced apprentices. Seniority, so to speak.