I would go to parties and say I was an editor, and people…
““I would go to parties and say I was an editor, and people, especially women – and that was important to me back then – would say, “Oh, really?” and raise their eyebrows and look at me a little more carefully. I remember the first party I went to after I became a teacher, someone asked me what I did for a living, and I said, “Well, I teach high school.” He looked over my shoulder, nodded his head, said, “I went to high school,” and walked away. Once I repeated this anecdote around a big table full of Mexican food in the garden at a place called La Choza in Chicago, and Becky Mueller, another teacher at the school, said that I was a “storyteller.” I liked that. I was looking for something to be other than “just” a teacher, and “storyteller” felt about right. I am a teacher and a storyteller in that order. I have made my living and my real contribution to my community as a teacher, and I have been very lucky to have found that calling, but all through the years I have entertained myself and occasionally other people by telling stories.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The author felt undervalued as a teacher until being called a storyteller, which gave a richer identity.
In simple terms: Being called a storyteller gave the teacher a valued identity.
Key Takeaway
Embrace storytelling to enrich teaching.
Themes
identity
storytelling
teaching
career
self‑esteem
Mood
inspirational
reflective
Type
anecdote:1
careers:1
high school:1
humor:0
learning:0
mentorship:0
mexican food:0
storyteller:1
teacher:1
teaching:1
travel:0
writing:0
teacher storyteller:0
said storyteller:0
storyteller liked:0
storyteller felt:0
When to use this quote
- classroom engagement
- public speaking
- career development
Key Concepts
education
narrative
personal growth
Questions to Reflect On
- How does narrative shape professional identity?
- What other roles could teachers adopt?
A Different Perspective
Labels can limit self‑perception.