Meandering Path to Education

 The following poem was inspired by one of my former students. She was recently a finalist in New Jersey's Poetry Out Loud held at Princeton University. To say she was awesome would be an understatement. 

My desire was further enhanced by a poet/keynote speaker at the recent NJ Association of Middle Level Educators conference.  Keep in mind two things: It's my first attempt and you should read the poem out loud. This is my journey to become an educator.

Peace.

Meandering Path to Education

This is my story.

I often wonder what it would have been like

If I chose a different path, although I did

Choose another path.

From a scrawny kid in a project home

Where no barrier of race broke me down

As I watched my dad hitchhike to work

Doing odd jobs myself as I grew up,

Lawn mower operator, pizza operative,

Bank teller, dairy worker, factory work, 

I did.

To a basketball court, off the street,

High school was blurry, and big, and sometimes not fun,

Please never tell me I cannot do something,

I will come back and haunt you,

 I did.

To the University of San Francisco

And a Fisherman’s Wharf magician

I often wondered if I stopped there.

Perform magic

Chained, handcuffed, nailed in a box

And thrown in a river, on purpose,

Then to the boardwalk I went: magician, entrepreneur or entre-manure

Stepped in it, I did.

That’s where my path started toward a classroom.

Substitute teaching, ah, 2 more miracles and I’m a saint

and someone saw me

Connected.

They did.

Back to School.

That was my expression of inspiration,

As my first grade teacher said:

Your vocation will find you, vocation, vocation

Where are we going?

That’s not vacation but your vocation, Find your voice, so I did.

When I walked in the classroom,

The only time I was disappointed was by choice

Inspire them, and they will learn!

Teacher, Coach, role model, parent, psychologist, comedian, hall monitor, cafeteria worker, proctor, crossing guard, colleague, trainer, listener, inspire-er of dreams,

In my class we could turn mole hills to mountains, rain drops to rivers, dreams to reality,

So I did!

Now a real husband and parent

Be a doctor of learning, always yearning

My wife asked. “Why not a principal?”

I told myself honorable, principle centered, le to principal al.

Not that I could be the best but I knew I could be different and I am.

Take people higher than they thought they could go: students, staffulty, parents, community

I thought

When you hit a wall climb over it, 

I did.

Quit being attacked and go on the offensive.

Stop apologizing for making a difference,

Be passionate about it or don’t do it.

The one real job you can like going to,

And if you don’t, blame yourself.

And Make A Difference,

Make A Difference, Make A Difference, Make A Difference,

 I did,  

 How about you?