Good Company

It is often said that you can judge a person’s true character by the company they keep. One of the prime benefits to the two major instructor conferences is meeting with a large group of people who share your enthusiasm for teaching HVACR. My posting is a little late this week because I have been out of town pursuing my avocation – music. I play trombone in the Macon Symphony Orchestra. I say avocation because for me, it is like grown men going to baseball camp. I get to play with a really great group of musicians and they pay me for it to boot! We played three concerts this weekend, the last one for a group of orphans. Several kids were allowed to come up on stage and sit during one of the pieces. They literally were right in the middle of the orchestra. When one young man headed towards the lower brass, our tuba player, Heather, excitedly said “that’s my 7^th grade tuba player!” You see, Heather teaches band at a local school during her day job. He sat right in front of us while we played. Not only did he get to hear the orchestra, he saw his teacher performing in a professional group. Heather is hooked on teaching. She talks about her students, what they are doing, and how they are progressing. She has managed to find a way to combine two loves into a profession: music and teaching. I hope that is the way you feel about teaching HVACR. Teachers receive the unique opportunity to share in other people’s success. If you approach teaching this way, you will be rewarded by the company you keep. After several years of teaching, you will find yourself in good company as your students develop into professionals who love what they do and give you more credit that you deserve for helping them along the way.