Beyond the Book: Challenges

What are some challenges you’ve encountered that you were unsure you could handle but then surprised yourself? 

I suppose one of the challenges that worried me was when I got my first teaching job. There was so much to learn and do! I’d never stood in front of my own class before. As all teachers in SC, I was required to practice teach with a supervisor before I graduated. That went okay, but it wasn’t the same as having my own class. We didn’t have computers back then so just getting ready for the year was hard. I still remember writing down all the student names and worrying how they would feel about me. The first year I taught I didn’t especially like it. I had a couple of wild classes that were quite a challenge for an inexperienced teacher, but I decided to give it one more year. With one year’s experience under my belt, I found my confidence and everything was different. I was up to the challenge after all. I taught in public schools for thirty five years, and for the most part I loved it. I still get a little nostalgic when the new school year starts, but it was time to move on and let younger teachers step into my classroom.

Another challenge I faced was that I wanted to write a book. I had always wanted to write, but I didn’t think I could. I had no idea where to even start. Should I make an outline? Write individual scenes and try to connect them later? Just start writing and see how it worked out? I didn’t know. And what about all the things like foreshadowing, etc. that the English teachers talked about? Could I fit them into my writing? Should I fit them in? I didn’t know so I did nothing. Then, everything changed. My son wrote a book that was really good, and I decided if he could do it so could I. I sat down, but the first sentence got rewritten about a hundred times. Finally, I decided to just go with it as it was. I could always change it later. I sure did enjoy writing that book. So much so that I decided to write another one. I sent the book off to one publisher who declined it, so I sent it in to a contest whose first prize was publication of your book. To my great and utter surprise, I won! l was up to the challenge after all. I could actually write something people enjoyed reading. I have to say that writing has provided me with more satisfaction than I ever imagined it would. 

There have been other times of challenge and doubt in my life, but I guess I’ll stop with these two. What about you? Would you care to share how you succeeded in a task where you thought you’d fail?