The hardest job you will ever love

I decided after directing a documentary on talented inner city kids last year (rymanarts.org) that I needed to be more involved with kids in my community, and that my teaching background and the fact that I grew up in LAUSD's "fine" public school system made me a great candidate for being a teacher.

Well...I knew it would be a hard job...but I honestly thought I could do a great job teaching full time plus starting an after school photography club for my eight graders, and I could still manage my growing photography business in the evenings and on weekends.

I spent a good three months straight with strep throat, the flu, and pneumonia...my personal relationships are hanging on by a thread, coffee and red bull get me through my weekend shoots...and somehow its been the most amazing year of my life.  My students are dynamic and inspiring, and I wouldn't trade my time with them, the jokes, the arguments, the learning discovery for anything in the world.  I wouldn't mind getting some more sleep and a paycheck that didn't make me laugh...but I knew this was the deal when I signed up to the world's most important job, for the world's slimmest monetary profits.  The kids, they make it worth it, and you should see their pictures, what talent!