proof Thoughts

Colleague-I was able to read proof over the weekend while traveling back from a conference. As a researcher and educator it really resonated with me. I love research because I see it as the chance to be creative, to explore and to struggle with trying to understand what you are observing in ways that may be beneficial. I like staying up late at night to work, not because I feel that I have to so that tenure comes, but more importantly because I want to see what I can accomplish. My research is nothing like what was described in proof; it deals more with social science and trying to get at what brings about change. I sometimes approach this by looking for what might inhibit change and at other times I look for the factors that might allow change. Still other times I try to learn more about the change I think is needed. I have this idea about what I think would be great, but the more I explore it, the more I realize I don’t know about ‘it’. I have veered from the text . . . I like the play. I like the humanity that was portrayed and the fear that was revealed.

Finally, if there was one thing that I didn’t like, it would be on pg. 34. The quote from the text is “There’s this fear that your creativity peaks at around twenty-three and it’s all downhill from there. Once you hit fifty, it’s over you might as well teach high school”. I am questioning why our society (if this can be generalized) thinks about teaching high school in the way depicted here. As a young graduate fresh out of a Masters program I taught in a rural school in Iowa. I was the lone high school science teacher, ironically at Lone Tree High School. I taught all science courses (even those I didn’t know much about, or restated even those that I new less than a little less about). In this position I experienced life. I struggled, but for the first time in my life I felt like I could do anything (this may have been unfounded confidence). I saw myself as a teacher outside the university where many time (but not all) I was told that to think of such great aspirations was not realistic or practical. I see teaching as a great career for the teacher and more importantly for the students that have that teacher. I love the play, but did not appreciate this.

Thanks for allowing me to share. I hope to see many others’ thoughts.