Teaching Career

  • One Teacher’s Journey

    ByAllen Reding

    Tomorrow begins my 24th year of teaching, yet I still remember the first hour of my first day—hands shaking, voice thin, wondering what I was doing there. Since then, the classroom has been both a crucible and a gift: seasons of exhaustion, unexpected laughter, heartbreak, and joy. I’ve taught lessons in economics and literature, but life always had lessons waiting for me too. Students grow, but so do teachers—shaped by storms, successes, and the steady rhythm of showing up. This journey has never been perfect, but it has always been worth it.

  • Teaching: A Most Unusual Rollercoaster

    ByAllen Reding

    Teaching was never a smooth ride. Some days climbed with promise, others dropped without warning, and the turns came faster than I could prepare for. Lookin g back now, it wasn’t the chaos that defined the journey—it was how much I carried away from it. And what I recognized about teaching has turned out to be true for all of life. A school year is a strange kind of rollercoaster. You strap in, ready or not, and before you know it the chain is pulling you up that first hill. The ride starts slow—syllabus days, names to learn, new shoes … Read more