I’m off to teach a class this afternoon, so I’ve spent the morning double-checking to make sure I’ve got everything I need to ensure the class goes well.

After a promotion at work a few months ago (after many, many months of doing two jobs) and finally hiring someone to help take the load off me, someone asked me why I’m still teaching. "You’re so tired all the time, is it because of the money?". I had to laugh. The money is okay, don’t get me wrong. I teach at a studio that is very fair about the class fee split. But it’s never been about the money. I’ve taken classes, some good, some not so good, and I use most of what I’ve learned over the years. Sometimes I have had to struggle to learn new things, when the instructor wasn’t as helpful as they could be, and I promised myself that if I ever got to teach, I would do everything in my power to pass along the easiest techniques, and hopefully have the most fun doing it. The classes often turn into gossip sessions, confessions, and always a lot of laughter. Today will be a first, because a MAN is signed up for the class. Oddly enough, in all the time I’ve been teaching (almost 2 years now), all the students have been women! I’m looking forward to seeing how, and if, the dynamics of the class change.

I get e-mails from past students, with photos of the pieces they’ve created with the techniques I’ve taught them, and it gives me a boost every time. There’s something very satisfying about passing along the gift of learning, and I hope that I can continue doing it for a very long time.

And now, I’m off to my class.

Peace.