Just Part of the Academic Journey

A not-so-healthy dose of writer's block seems to have entered my life, not just my blogging life. I thought I'd share my most recent happy teacher moment as a way of getting back on wagon. I bumped into a former student from a GED class on a Metro bus the other day and we had just enough time together as we crossed Central Park to get caught up. He told me all about his life at a community college here in the city and about a cool project involving the UN he has gotten involved in. I encouraged him to follow up with an email to continue the discussion.

Our second email exchange is why I'm writing here. He said, of his UN work that I'd expressed admiration and a smidge of (proud like his mama) jealousy over, "OH, my dear friend: Trust me there is nothing to be jealous; the things that are happening now are just part of my academic journey."

Those words: 'just part of my academic journey" stood out to me. When he was in my class, I don't remember any talk fom him of a journey or a path. It was simply a "gotta get it, gotta get it now or life will end" discourse over passing his GED test. When I was a GED teacher, we teachers/administrators often mused that "GED" itself often clouded students learning. It sounded like a product, a thing to get. It held meaning. It was an end. But that was just talk; there was a continuum even though it wasn't voiced.

This kind student's words reminded me of my own academic journey. And I realized that I look at my dissertation with a "gotta get it, gotta get it now or life will end" language. What if I shrugged my shoulders and said, "OH, my dear bank account, my professional pride and my patience: Trust me, there is nothing to wringe your hands about; the things happening now are just part of your academic journey."

Will it help me overcome my writer's block?