The new semester started this week at the University of Houston, where I teach, and yesterday I met my first class, a Master Fiction Workshop. Often, the Master Workshop is the final class that our graduate students take before they do their thesis/dissertation defense, and by this point most of them are mature writers with a draft of their novel or short story collection. This year all the students have novels, so we will also be reading, side by side, published novels that I have assigned them based on their interests and their projects. We will start with Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Hesse's Siddhartha, novels that I love for different reasons, and analyze the way in which the writers have structured chapters. Along with the students, I know I will learn a great deal from this re-examination.
I feel very fortunate to be teaching. Teaching certainly has its challenges, but there is such a sense of renewal to it. Each semester I begin all over again. Each semester I have the opportunity to touch the lives of young writers and learn from them. At the end of the semester, there is a sense of closure as I turn in grades and the students go on to the next stage of their lives. It is a unique relationship. I am very fond of my students. We have (I think!) a lot of fun together as we learn. We are in a great enterprise together, the creation of art, and through it, the examination of humanity and this amazing universe we live in. Yet at the end of the semester I can let them go without a pang--because that's the way it's supposed to be. (But often I'm surprised and delighted by students who come back--maybe years later-- to let me know of their achievements).
I wish I could achieve this equanimity in other areas of my life!
P.S. I'm very interested in how people feel about their jobs, the challenges and satisfactions. Please do write your thoughts about what you do.
I feel very fortunate to be teaching. Teaching certainly has its challenges, but there is such a sense of renewal to it. Each semester I begin all over again. Each semester I have the opportunity to touch the lives of young writers and learn from them. At the end of the semester, there is a sense of closure as I turn in grades and the students go on to the next stage of their lives. It is a unique relationship. I am very fond of my students. We have (I think!) a lot of fun together as we learn. We are in a great enterprise together, the creation of art, and through it, the examination of humanity and this amazing universe we live in. Yet at the end of the semester I can let them go without a pang--because that's the way it's supposed to be. (But often I'm surprised and delighted by students who come back--maybe years later-- to let me know of their achievements).
I wish I could achieve this equanimity in other areas of my life!
P.S. I'm very interested in how people feel about their jobs, the challenges and satisfactions. Please do write your thoughts about what you do.
inspiring article ..chitra...and...i remember when I left my last job as lawyer...and chose to work as social worker....i know that the important thing in my life is..when i can do something even a little to make a better condition to the outsider people... see them smile... it's enough for me
salaam
reta
Well, am one of those professionals who are not happy with what they are doing but are scared to chuck it all to follow their dreams....may be because we don't know what our real calling is :-(
I sincerely wish I could be one of your student :-)
I work in education too, as a Para-Educator for a Special Needs student. There are rough days, but mostly it's very fulfilling because I am making a huge difference in this student's life. It also gives me a break from worrying about writing and my real life, but at the same time, the job makes my schedule much more demanding.
Dear Ms Divakaruni...
I stumbled on your blog and feel it was meant to be as I had not planned to write to you...but then here I am!
I have long loved your books and sister of my heart remains my favourite ....
I am an English teacher...at a fully residential girls' school in the foothills of the himalayas. Welham Girls' school...and amongst many other things we can also boast of Ms. Dayita Bira Datta( mastermind) who was in school with you in Cal... she is the vice principal here and quite the soul of the school....!
I will be doing victory song with my class 6 next term as their novel study...and just wanted to connect with you on that. I look forward to doing it with them and will keep you posted on their responses ...!
Hope to hear from you soon.
Mamta
Dear Chitra, I just stumbled upon your entry and as always, enjoyed reading it.
So, to answer the request at the end of it, I teach Fairytales, Arthuriana, and Greek Mythology for a living; for rewards, I go to various groups of students and guest lecture about Ramayana, Rasa Theory & Indian Aesthetics, and Hinduism; for fun, I maintain my writing blog intermittently, construct stories and poems, and quilt. Of course, my most meaningful job is my daughter and I get daily rewards from my animal friends that co-habit with me.
I don't think I need to articulate that I love all this. I am eternally grateful to the universe that it arranged itself so perfectly for me.
Now if only I could publish!
Hi. I'm Aditi. I'm doing an integrated Masters programme in Humanities in IIT Madras. For my Indian Literature term paper, I have chosen your work, The Palace of Illusions. I loved the book, as did my mother, sister and various other relations.
My question to you is this: when you were pumping life into the character Draupadi, did you impart some of your own convictions to her? It would be just GREAT if we could have a longer conversation about this book=). But I understand that you're quite busy with teaching and writing.
Oh, my favorite books Hesse's Siddhartha (and all by Hesse), love the Great Gatsby too.
Wish I could be one of your student!
:)
Dear Chitra,
I am so happy to get acquainted with your work.Today an American friend of mine mailed your "Palace of illusion" link, and seriously i am hooked reading your blog,poetry and novels review at a stretch :)
It is a pleasure to find an akin soul who enjoys teaching the way i did till i quit few years back ago on the pretext of a pink ribbon :)
Every word of yours echoed at this end.Especially the last part of old students finding some way to get across you to share their achievements.
Wish to be part of this journey of yours :)