Why I Teach: It’s a Vocation, Not a Job

“Why I Teach” is a recurring column in which we invite Cardigan’s teachers to share their thoughts in their own words. It explores why these individuals got into teaching in the first place and what it is that gets them out of bed each morning. It is also ultimately a testament to their hard work and dedication—to all the planning and preparation, as well as the heart—that they invest in each day on The Point.

By Alan Goodrow, Summer Session Co-Director of Student Life

When I was a teenager, I had friends who would leave school during the morning to go to what we all referred to as “voc.” Voc was short for vocational school, and back then, voc classes included things like automotive repair, plumbing, welding, cosmetology, etc. I was not interested in any of it; rather, I enjoyed English and history, which meant, in turn, that I did not think I had a vocational skill set. Still, to this day, I would not consider myself someone who is handy. I don’t repair things, or build anything. In fact, fixing a leaky faucet for me is a grand achievement. What I have come to understand, however, is that this does not mean that I do not have a vocational skill set. In fact, I would argue that teaching, more than anything else, is the most important vocation there is.

Growing up, becoming a teacher was always on the periphery of how I saw myself as an adult. Like most boys, I initially envisioned myself as a professional athlete, then as something else related to athletics. ESPN was at its peak, so being a “talking head” on the channel, someone who got paid to discuss sports, was a dream. However, I soon found that I did not enjoy doing the things that I would need to do to achieve my goals. What I enjoyed the most was reading, writing, and school.

Then, during my senior year in college, I was introduced to Cardigan Summer Session. Not only would I have the opportunity to teach reading and writing, but I would also be able to coach basketball, all while finishing out my undergraduate studies. 

To be honest, I was not fully prepared for that first summer and all that it required and asked of me. I struggled with how “on” I always had to be, and how tiring that was. And related to that, when I was always “on,” there were a lot more opportunities to feel the standard “impostor syndrome.” Unlike simply teaching in a classroom, in a residential setting, that feeling of being unprepared and lacking authority came up at a variety of different points throughout my day. It took me a while before I became confident in my ability to teach and comfortable in my role as a mentor and guide to students. I had grown up going to public school and seeing my teachers as teachers only. Summer Session allowed me to experience not just being in a classroom, but everything else, and how great that can be. It was the most difficult and tiring summer of my entire life, but it was also the best. By the end of the summer, my vocation was clear. I was to be a teacher. 

So, to answer the question, “Why do I teach?” my answer is because it has always been my vocation. The meaning of “vocation” that I was unaware of in high school, is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, a “strong conviction that it is one’s duty or destiny to follow a particular profession, way of life, etc.” At the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, where I work during the academic year, we like to say that teaching is a vocation, not a job. It wasn’t until I heard this for the first time that I understood the full scope and weight of the word. 

And what is the corresponding vocational skill set? Prior to working at Cardigan, I spent five summers working in customer service at a water park, and it was the best primer I could have asked for when it came to developing the patience necessary for working with kids. I’ve also come to understand the importance of being open. In teaching, what you anticipate happening rarely does, so when planning lessons and activities, I’ve found it’s important not to be beholden to original ideas. Rather, I strive to be open and flexible. Lastly, I’ve come to see the importance of treating each day—and more specifically, each interaction with a student—as new. Every teacher I have worked with who has struggled in the classroom has had trouble with this. They struggle to move on. Kids can be upsetting, disappointing, and annoying, but ultimately teachers need in many cases to forget about students’ previous transgressions.

Teaching, for me, has never been about the impact that I have on the students. Sure, I like to think that I am a positive role model in some way, and I hope they remember me when they grow up. But for me, teaching is about providing a space for students in which they feel welcome to learn, to grow, to make mistakes, to figure out who they are, and to be challenged. I have the privilege of doing this through teaching reading and writing skills. To me, reading and writing—responding to reading and writing anything, particularly creative or analytical pieces—are the most uninhibited forms of thinking and reflecting in which students can participate. Because of this, they often make mistakes, but when they are able to reflect on them, either in the moment or in revisions, this is where the most growth and learning occur.

And, honestly, I teach because school was always my favorite place, and now I never have to leave.

This article was originally published in the fall/winter 2025-2026 issue of the Cardigan Chronicle