Dan Retires, Hannah Wonders

After some forty years as a teacher in Arizona, California, New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut, I retired Friday.  For me, teaching was always about the relationships. With students.  With colleagues.  Engaged students got the best out of me.  They fed me, whether it was teaching sixth grade at Nevitt Elementary School in Phoenix, AZ or the preservice teachers at the University of New England in Biddeford, ME.  At its best, my career was about working with good folks with whom I connected; those kindred spirits, fellow professionals who liked talking shop.  An example.  Once a week for sixteen years, I had breakfast before school to talk about all things education with my teaching buddy Steve. 

I was never one who wanted to work forever, find the perfect job and stay til I die.  I am not sure I ever had the commitment or the energy.  It wasn’t until I read The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks (http://www.hendricks.com/gay-hendricks) that someone articulated why I knew it was time to leave the teaching profession.  He identifies Zones that we inhabit as we work.

Zone of Incompetence.  That may sound mocking and inflammatory, but please read on.  This Zone is where you are doing things that you are not good at or don’t like to do.  For example, I hate to paint - our house or any room within, you name it.  At my best, I might be adequate.  If I were to paint your house or mine, I’d be working in my Zone of Incompetence.  Note bene, don’t let me near your house with a paintbrush.

Zone of Competence.   These are the kind of jobs where you do them well, but someone else could just as easily be doing them.  You are just putting in your time and doing the job.  You’re fine at it, but it lights no fire, though it may pay the bills.  As a university prof, if I spent time copying handouts on the copier, I would be working at my Zone of Competence. Someone else could be doing it while I could be doing what they were actually paying me to do, such as planning and teaching classes, advising students, and responding to student writing.    

Zone of Excellence.  That is where few can do what you do well.  You’re good at what you do.  My positive course evaluations suggest I was in this Zone during my teaching career.  Perhaps, that sounds self-serving, but I don’t know how else to say it.  As one colleague generously stated when commenting on my teaching, you bat clean up for us.   I was often in the Zone; I’d like to think.

Zone of Genius or what I would call the Zone of Passion.  These are the jobs where you wake up in the morning and can’t wait to get started.  This is what I seek.  Drafting and publishing these posts for my over60hiker blog takes me to this Zone.  When my students were fully engaged, I would tell Hannah over wine after class that I couldn’t believe I’m being paid to do this job.  I was in the Zone.   

After forty years, I wasn’t in the Zone of Passion as much as I’d have liked when I was teaching.   I believe my students were getting my A game, but as Gay Hendricks says, I was feeding them, but I wasn’t feeding myself. 

It’s now time to start feeding myself in retirement.  Writing these one pagers for my blog is a start.  I love tinkering with my writing to get it right.  Perhaps, the retired men’s group that works on Tuesday for Habitat for Humanity is a possibility.   Maybe it will be volunteering with the Maine Children’s Cancer Program, an organization that successfully treated our daughter Robyn 25 years ago.   The Telling Room in Portland where mentor/writers help student writers working on their craft is a possibility.   I’m looking to work with good folks as a team.

Now, this is where you come in.  Given what you have just read, what suggestions do you have for me as I pursue my Zone of Passion as a volunteer?  Please include yours in the comments section below or email them to me.

Wish me luck.  I mean, literally wish me luck.  In the comment section below.