Gratitude List: Teaching at Osher: 10 Things I'm Grateful For (Plus 2)

I put together detailed proposals for my class ideas, from the description of the class as a whole to the details of each individual class and then hope it gets accepted.

The students are adults 50+, often retired, and are there because they want to be.

I teach things I am passionate about: Chinese medicine, foraging, fungi, etc.

I do not give assignments or tests, so I come to class, present my material, have my notes available to them, and that's it. No tedious grading of papers, no arguing with students about grades.

It gives my week a sense of structure and purpose: getting the class notes prepared, practicing and timing my lectures. It shows me how much I know about certain subjects and gives me the opportunity to put my knowledge together in interesting ways and share it with others.

It pays. Not much, but it's nice to have money coming in.

They set up a retirement account through the university, and part of my paycheck gets deposited to that.

Even though continuing to practice is not necessarily what I want to do, it is the only thing I currently do which has the ability to support me and my family, so getting new clients is a nice benefit for which I am grateful.

...which is a doable increment for me.

I was asked to submit a resume and proposal of possible classes for a new center, which also made me remember my dream to have my own property/center and offer classes