“Please please don’t write anything awful,” I begged the reporter over the crackly cellphone line. “I just got this new job and I really like it and I’m not trying to get thrown out!”
Darren chuckled and calmly replied, “I’m a reporter. No one would talk to me any more if I violated their trust. This will be a positive, inspiring story, really.”
The Herald reporter was true to his word, and what follows is the link to the article about my transition from Boston Public Schools, to a journey around the world, to Boston Public Schools again: “Intrepid Teacher Back to School with ‘Eye of Tiger.’”
Read and enjoy… and please do also get the cheese-tastic song “Eye of the Tiger” stuck in your head as it now is in mine. (“Ba ba BA!”)
It’s rather interesting that this article came out the very first day students returned to Boston classrooms… including my new one! I’m happy to report that the first day of school was exhausting (as can be expected from waking up at 5:15am and seeing 7 different classes of up to 31 students in the course of 6.5 hours), but it was GREAT.
Darren summed it up well: traveling for 9 months was amazing, and so is being back here teaching.
My mother reminds me that we are now entering the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Indeed, as I hoist up my new-job-work-filled backpack and head off to sign a lease on my new apartment (so long, for now, nomadic lifestyle!) there is a glittering feeling that one turn of the Earth has ended and a bright new one has just begun.
So: L’shanah tovah! Happy New Year! May we all have new starts as sweet and delicious as the apples and honey we’ll munch tonight.
Curious about the story behind me petting that GIANT tiger? Click here for my Thai Tiger Temple article!
The author, Lillie Marshall, is National Board Certified Teacher, fitness fan, and mother of two who has been a full-time public school educator since 2003. She launched Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog in 2009, and over 3.7 million readers have visited this site over the decade. Lillie also runs Teaching Traveling Global Education Community and Drawings Of… Educational Cartoon Site. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter, and follow on social media with the links below!
Cameron L.
Tuesday 17th of November 2015
You seemed very calm while touching that Tiger. How did you accomplish not being scared? I know that I would scared out of my mind.
Arleth
Thursday 26th of February 2015
That's so amazing that a reporter wrote about you and you were able to be next to a tiger. Now I also have "The Eye of the Tiger" stuck in my head.
Yong Shi
Wednesday 25th of February 2015
I really like the picture with you and the tiger.
Amy H.
Monday 18th of June 2012
You're so popular that even the Herald wrote about you! Now I'm heading to your precise article about the tiger temple.
Kenneth Holman
Thursday 10th of May 2012
Was it scary to go up and pet the tiger? I would have been scared because it only has one small chain.
Lillie
Thursday 10th of May 2012
Read the article!