What You Would Do Anyway

When I walk, I listen to podcasts.  Today, I was listening to Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, when he said, "The best thing in life is when you are doing what you would do with your friends for fun, and then someone gives you a check for it."  There are aspects of any job that won't thrill you - paperwork, scheduling (unless you are Mandy Gill and scheduling is your happy place), and meetings - but hopefully, there are at least some parts of your job that are things you would want to do anyway.  As I was walking, I thought of two things.

Explaining things - I am the daughter of an engineer.  If you ask him what time it is, chances are that he will explain to you the history of the invention of the watch.  So, my compulsion to explain things is hereditary.  Even as a child, I was always explaining anything I knew to anyone who would sit still.  My high school friend, Rebecca, and I spent much of our freshman year discussing theological controversies or science or whatever else was floating around.  What appealed to me about physics was knowing how everyday things worked.  I loved knowing how a microphone worked or why ice skaters spun faster when they pulled their arms in.  I went into teaching physics because I wanted other people to enjoy having that knowledge too.  There was one year of my adult life that I didn't teach.  I worked at Wachovia Mortgage while I was between schools.  I annoyed the mess out of some of my co-workers because I would answer questions they had absentmindedly asked but apparently didn't want the answer to.   Even during the summer, I'll catch myself explaining something to someone and say, "Sorry, I haven't taught anything in a couple of months."  Fortunately, there is a career that can support my compulsion.

Writing recommendation letters - I am the job reference for a lot of people.  I love thinking about the positive aspects of a person and telling other people about them.  Teaching high school frequently provides that opportunity because we fill out surveys, nominate kids for awards, and write college and scholarship recommendation letters.  This week, I got to write one for one of my favorite students (yes, we do have them).  They don't want you to say, "She's really smart" or "He works hard in class."  They can tell that from the transcript.  What they want are examples of the student's character.  That's what I love about writing them.  I got to think back over the five-year relationship I have with this girl and share about her enthusiasm for learning as evidenced by an experience we had at the Air and Space Museum.  I got to tell them about her heart for service as shown by how far above and beyond she has gone in tutoring other students.  I got to tell them how many ways I had observed her leadership as I have had her in class but have also seen her leading on the basketball team and in student council.  When she asked me to write this letter, she didn't realize how thrilled I was to write it because I would have wanted to talk about her anyway.  

Whatever job you have, look for something in it that you would happily do anyway.  Then, be grateful you getting paid for that.

The Joy of Recommendation Letters

When I was in college, there were a lot of things I pictured about my future career.  I imagined teaching students.  I imagined being the lab.  I even imagined parent-teacher conferences.  I guess that is because those are the parts of teaching students actually see teachers doing.   I never had a mental picture of sitting down to write recommendation letters, but over the years, I have written at least a hundred.  It is one of my favorite job responsibilities.

When a student asks a teacher to write them a letter, they aren't just marking an item off of their to-do list.  They are putting themselves in a vulnerable position.  What if the teacher says no?  What if it turns out that the teacher doesn't view the student the way the student thinks they do?  We should make sure that we respond in a way that honors their courage.  We should handle this request for what it is, an honor.

If you are blessed enough to have students who want your recommendation, take the time to think back over your relationship with that student.  Think about who they were when you first met them.  For some, that may be the beginning of this year; but for others, it goes back to middle school.  Think about how they have changed and grown.  The college is going to see their transcript, so the letter shouldn't be about what they do or what grades they get.  It should be about who that student is and their potential for growth.  It should help the admissions counselor get a picture of who that student is as a human being.

When you write letters that list resumé items, it's kind of a chore.  When you write letters that reflect the character of a student, it is a joy.  Imagine if you took the time to think back over your relationship history with a friend.  You would think about good and bad times and the depth of your friendship.  It's the same way when you view recommendation letters as stories of growth.  It adds depth to your view of the student.  Then, they are no longer a chore.  They are a privilege.