Opus

"Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater." -- Gail Godwin

Last night I finally watched, thirteen years after its theatrical release, Mr. Holland's Opus. Really a fantastic movie. I can add the Richard Dreyfuss triumph to my short list of movies that made me cry. Here was a man (forget he was factitious) who dreamed of conducting a symphony performing his own composition but wound up falling back on his teaching degree to support his family. His dream took a backseat to reality, but he touched the lives of many who later applauded his efforts in one of the more touching scenes to grace my 37 inch Panasonic.

I could be Mr. Holland - I have visions of grandeur for my life - I have the teaching degree to fall back on - I'm going to lose my hair.

But I've already fallen back on my teaching degree. In six years as an elementary school teacher, I was the victim of budget cuts three times. Most frustrating for me is that I was an excellent teacher. My connection with my students went well beyond textbooks and answer keys. I found myself invested in developing these young people into upstanding citizens who practiced courtesy, confidence, and integrity. That just wasn't enough to de-throne the tenured statues in adjacent classrooms.

So what happens when your safety net is full of holes? I guess you just work harder on your highwire routine without looking down, without giving up. At this point, I don't even want the safety net. The intimidation of the concrete below shrinks proportionately with each step across the highwire.

Of course, it wouldn't hurt to catch a few falling Benjamins while I'm up here.