Teaching - The Buffalo Wing of Life

Teaching is a fickle friend. And it takes a day like this one to remind myself of why I do what I do.

On June 10, the seniors from East Greenwich High School came back to their alma mater, my elementary school, to do one last walk through and to say goodbye to their former teachers. It was bittersweet.

I’ve decided that teaching is very similar to eating buffalo wings. Sounds weird, I know, but hear me out…

I love buffalo wings. I was first introduced to them my freshman year of college. Had my first taste at the Mews Tavern down in Wakefield. What an experience.

Now, I’m not crazy. I’m not the thermonuclear burn-your-face-off type of buffalo wing eater, but I do like a little kick.

Taking your first bite into a spicy, zesty wing is torture, for lack of a better word. It’s hot, your nose starts to run, your eyes start to water and you find yourself asking the question, “Why am I doing this? How is this enjoyable? How is this fun?” There seems to be a lot of pain and misery with that first bite. But then, the spiciness fades and things seem to cool down. All of a sudden, you are able to enjoy the flavors of the blue cheese melding together with all the spices. The skin crunching against the tender meat on the bone creates an exquisite texture - a symphony of tastes being celebrated on your tongue. You quickly forget the torture you had to go through to get to this masterpiece of deliciousness. It’s such a phenomenal experience that you reach down for another one!

Well, my friends, I’m here to tell you after 24 years of teaching, the world of education is very similar.

That first bite can sting. The day to day routine of teaching can bring a lot of heat and sometimes irritation. The data-driven curriculum can really burn us making our eyes water and nose run when our kids are feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Encouraging, mostly begging, my kids to practice their music can really take a toll on my patience because I know for a fact with just little application and practice they can turn squeaks into songs. When you get sucked into all the minutia and red tape during a school year, it's hard to see the forest through the trees.

Then, when you see your former students, all grown up and ready to go out into that great big world, things start to cool down a bit.

After all the struggles of getting through the sometimes mundane daily practices and methods of a school day, you finally see how all the flavors have come together to create a composition of promise, achievement, optimism, and hope. You forget about all the spicy heat you go through each year and all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, you get to the meat of why you are an educator. You see how your kids have grown, matured, and transformed into these lovely young adults who are now about to embark on their own adventure into adulthood while at the same time, you can vaguely see those fifth grade faces that you had at one time, which didn’t seem that long ago.

It’s because of this, it’s inevitable you go back to teaching year after year.

To the graduating class of 2021 - I wish you all the best life has to offer. Thank you for reminding me why I do what I do. The world is your oyster, or in this case buffalo wing, so make sure you take a big bite!