Working in Higher Education - I Love My Job!

A couple of weeks ago I helped a friend move a piano, and as a result, I have pinched a nerve in my back and haven't been able to walk, stand, or sit for the last 2 weeks. I am improving and should fully recover, but I had two full weeks to really think deeply about my life- what I am doing with it and where I am headed.

 One of the happy conclusions I have come to is that I absolutely love my job! I am a faculty member at Franklin University, and my role is to help design and develop quality courses with several other faculty members at the university. I also teach in the university's Instructional Design and Performance Technology program, and I have been blessed to interact with excellent students over the past year.

Related Post: Why I Teach and Practice Instructional Design

Here is the mission of my university:

"Franklin University provides high quality, relevant education enabling the broadest possible community of learners to achieve their goals and enrich the world." (from Franklin University's Mission and Philosophy).

This is a mission that I can stand behind and believe in. Providing knowledge, skills, and opportunities to others through education is meaningful work. It is something that benefits society and gives people more- it enables and strengthens. There are few "products" that can enhance or improve a person's potential for success and fulfillment in life, but I believe that meaningful education does. Education provides individuals with the power to change their lives and communities in fundamental, meaningful ways. Providing education resonates deeply with my own personal desire to help others improve their lives through kindness, service, and knowledge.

Is my job perfect? Of course not- it is difficult, stressful, and time-intense. But I love what I do. I love being in a position in which I have the power to positively influence others' lives, to provide them with tools that will benefit them and their families for generations. I am an educator to the core, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work in higher education at an excellent institution.