Bigger Risks

Today I began to read Parker Palmer’s book On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity & Getting Older.

This marks my 3rd time reading this book since my sister gave it to me for my birthday in 2019.

Today I appreciated this quote on page 2:

Old is just another word for nothing left to lose, a time of life to take bigger risks on behalf of the common good.

I related immediately because lately I’ve been talking a lot to another teacher in our reading department. She has just been at CLMS for two years, came from elementary, and is still trying to figure out the culture there. She is younger and has more career ahead of her, so fretting a bit over her upcoming evaluation and such is on her mind.

I find I have no such worries. I’m old, I’m close to retiring, and I seriously have nothing left to lose by taking bigger risks. I’ve clearly decided to do what I think is most productive for the common good of my learners, and the rest be damned.

Yes, the gift of aging! 😎

This is manifesting in many ways; mainly, I am finding a lot of incredible ideas on how to make the Global Perspectives curriculum come alive. Three years of dullness is enough. I need a new approach.

I also find myself rediscovering things that worked in the past but got abandoned. I have clear memories of some of these activities and feel sad they have been forgotten. I’m determined to have them return to my classroom repertoire.

What I’m thinking is next year has to be Helen’s Greatest Hits. And yes…I still wonder what the heck I’ll do with my creative brain when this part of life is over. But I know something will come my way!

Meanwhile, a bit more risk-taking is in order…and encouraging my learners to do the same.