It’s useful to think of our bodies are not just as biological systems and chemical systems, but also as electrical systems. As we age, it’s not just the mechanical aspects, hormonal balances, and metabolisms that change, but also the degree to which we fire off electrons and neurons. For me (and most folks) much of this electrical activity gets spun up in our work lives and retirement, therefore, presents a significant challenge to keep things humming.
I did the law-and-business thing for about thirty years before getting tired of the jerks in the corporate/tech world and returning to my ancient love of history. I was lucky enough to find good teachers and get admitted into good programs, despite my age (then in my fifties) and even luckier to land a gig at SF State teaching history. When I got “let go” two years ago, I was concerned that the current state of academia and general societal age-ism would cut off further activities in that direction. Well, yes-and-no.
I had begun teaching at the OLLI program for seniors at SF State even before the pandemic and continued that into the early ‘20s. It was an easy fit, adapting my college courses to a new context. The absence of grading was a definite plus. But I discovered something more: a community of enthusiastic learners; a bunch of folks who were determined to keep their electrical systems running apace.
It's taken me a while to wrap my head around the view that this is not a step back for me, career-wise. First, teaching seniors presents new challenges in terms of packaging and presenting the material (historical and 21C) that comprise the courses I offer. Second, in contrast to the collegiate classes, students bring life-experience and a greater willingness to participate which makes the discussions much more interesting and fun than before. Third, I get to pick the topics for the classes, without concern for what the History Department would let me teach. My work in conceiving and developing the classes lets me research issues and authors that interest me and forces me to think through my own preconceptions to produce a course that is coherent and engaging. Finally (and, really, the toughest point), I have to get out of the conventional striving/career advancement mentality (in which I had been immersed for many decades) and just enjoy what I was doing!
There are downsides compared to college teaching, to be sure. Working to shape young minds with a long future ahead of them was challenging and meaningful from a social perspective. The pay (such as it was) was better in the college (I figure I’m barely getting minimum wage considering all the prep I do). There was a certain status to being a college instructor, even if I was (in that world) a lowly untenured lecturer. But, in the real world, I wasn’t given a choice. The systemic issues that let to my exit from the main part of the college effectively ensured that there were no comparable teaching gigs here in the Bay Area. Besides, the advent of AI has radically altered the nature of teaching and I haven’t figured out how to do it well.
Is it the same? Well, no. Is it a retreat or (to continue the electrical metaphor) a shift in wattage, amperage, or frequency? I enjoy it and I get more/better feedback from my generational peers than from the “kids” I used to see.
So, I have been able to adapt to a major career set-back and chart a new course (so to speak). Since the Spring of 2024, I have taught eight courses at SF State, and branched out to comparable programs in Berkeley, Marin, and Sonoma (with one more to come). I have taught at three retirement communities. This year I expect to offer 35-40 two-hour lectures, all told. The development of new courses takes a lot of work, so I am trying to add a couple of new offerings each year and then tweak them and offer them again in differing venues.
It’s not enough to keep my weeks fully-loaded and I could always do more reading and research, but this level is satisfying intellectually and I engage in other volunteer activities to keep some balance.
I know a guy from the History Department at SF State who is in his mid-80s. He’s been out of the college teaching biz for 12 years (about the time I started), and he still keeps his hand in, teaching occasional classes at OLLI. So, I have some hopes of keeping this up for a while. I have a couple of full (six-session) courses and a couple of single lectures sketched out, with a couple more in each category in various stages of gestation. The program for the next few years, at least, seems reasonably clear.
I did the law-and-business thing for about thirty years before getting tired of the jerks in the corporate/tech world and returning to my ancient love of history. I was lucky enough to find good teachers and get admitted into good programs, despite my age (then in my fifties) and even luckier to land a gig at SF State teaching history. When I got “let go” two years ago, I was concerned that the current state of academia and general societal age-ism would cut off further activities in that direction. Well, yes-and-no.
I had begun teaching at the OLLI program for seniors at SF State even before the pandemic and continued that into the early ‘20s. It was an easy fit, adapting my college courses to a new context. The absence of grading was a definite plus. But I discovered something more: a community of enthusiastic learners; a bunch of folks who were determined to keep their electrical systems running apace.
It's taken me a while to wrap my head around the view that this is not a step back for me, career-wise. First, teaching seniors presents new challenges in terms of packaging and presenting the material (historical and 21C) that comprise the courses I offer. Second, in contrast to the collegiate classes, students bring life-experience and a greater willingness to participate which makes the discussions much more interesting and fun than before. Third, I get to pick the topics for the classes, without concern for what the History Department would let me teach. My work in conceiving and developing the classes lets me research issues and authors that interest me and forces me to think through my own preconceptions to produce a course that is coherent and engaging. Finally (and, really, the toughest point), I have to get out of the conventional striving/career advancement mentality (in which I had been immersed for many decades) and just enjoy what I was doing!
There are downsides compared to college teaching, to be sure. Working to shape young minds with a long future ahead of them was challenging and meaningful from a social perspective. The pay (such as it was) was better in the college (I figure I’m barely getting minimum wage considering all the prep I do). There was a certain status to being a college instructor, even if I was (in that world) a lowly untenured lecturer. But, in the real world, I wasn’t given a choice. The systemic issues that let to my exit from the main part of the college effectively ensured that there were no comparable teaching gigs here in the Bay Area. Besides, the advent of AI has radically altered the nature of teaching and I haven’t figured out how to do it well.
Is it the same? Well, no. Is it a retreat or (to continue the electrical metaphor) a shift in wattage, amperage, or frequency? I enjoy it and I get more/better feedback from my generational peers than from the “kids” I used to see.
So, I have been able to adapt to a major career set-back and chart a new course (so to speak). Since the Spring of 2024, I have taught eight courses at SF State, and branched out to comparable programs in Berkeley, Marin, and Sonoma (with one more to come). I have taught at three retirement communities. This year I expect to offer 35-40 two-hour lectures, all told. The development of new courses takes a lot of work, so I am trying to add a couple of new offerings each year and then tweak them and offer them again in differing venues.
It’s not enough to keep my weeks fully-loaded and I could always do more reading and research, but this level is satisfying intellectually and I engage in other volunteer activities to keep some balance.
I know a guy from the History Department at SF State who is in his mid-80s. He’s been out of the college teaching biz for 12 years (about the time I started), and he still keeps his hand in, teaching occasional classes at OLLI. So, I have some hopes of keeping this up for a while. I have a couple of full (six-session) courses and a couple of single lectures sketched out, with a couple more in each category in various stages of gestation. The program for the next few years, at least, seems reasonably clear.
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