I dislike the saying attributed to Shaw: “He who can does, he who cannot, teaches.” Really? Try handling what I lovingly would refer to as “the bell from hell”: 25 squirrely 16-year-olds during the last class of the day. The fidgeting, due to copious amounts of Mountain Dew at lunch, really did distract from our discussions on Iambic Pentameter. There have been many spin-offs to this phrase over the years; however, the one I now like the least is: “Those who can’t teach, teach teachers.”
Even though there are a few past students who would beg to disagree, (you can’t win ‘em all) it wasn’t that I couldn’t teach. It’s not even that I didn’t like teaching, I did! I liked watching the progression of students’ writing, I liked seeing the “light bulb go off” when a concept was truly understood, I liked seeing students uncover talents that they didn’t know they had. I also liked my discipline: I had always been drawn to words, and to “play” with them all day was fun at times. However, sometimes there was a little voice in the back of my head that said, “is it really that crucial that Ryan memorize Puck’s closing soliloquy in a Midsummer Night’s Dream?” Shakespeare is fascinating, yet some would argue not relevant.
Learn Retirement Planning for a Teacher from a Teacher!
Now, I teach teachers. I really do! Check it out! I must tell you it is just as rewarding if not more, and the word “relevant” plays a crucial role in my level of career satisfaction. Did Ryan benefit from that memorization exercise? Maybe. But I know that every one of my “students” now benefits from what I teach them.
What subjects do my current clients and I discuss? We compare the Blue Cross and Priority Medicare Advantage plans available. We
So why is it that I fell so easily into this new career a decade ago?
It is because no matter what, I will always be a teacher at heart. I guess it is “that knack” that people say I have of explaining things in a way that is relatable. I know you have heard it before too! Your ex-students tell you that they never loved reading until they had your class, or math never “clicked” until you showed them how to do fractions, or science was boring until you put those Mentos into that bottle of pop. There’s some excitement for you!
I can teach, and I teach teachers. I may not be the one who makes you love (or hate) Shakespeare, but I am the one who educates about the pros and cons of having the benefits those long hours of prep, and grading, and classroom discipline afforded you. And, depending on who you are, I can promise it will be better than a class on Macbeth!
Not all of Shaw’s sayings were so unlikable. He also said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” I like this quote much better. The best way to “keep playing” and enjoy your retirement is by educating yourself as to how to best utilize the benefits you have.
