Thinking through the dissonance

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a weaving workshop were I engaged in some interesting conversations, which has allowed me to think through some of the dissonance that I am experiencing at the moment.

It was interesting to chat with educators and unpack how they approach their own learning and how that then links into their classroom practice, as well as other people present who shared their passions and how a work connection existed.

This has provided time to sit back a little and think through this notion of passions and interests being connected to the work you are employed to do. For me it becomes clear that some career pathways are possibly more linked to passions and interests than others, and some people need a career pathway that provides a connection to their passions and interests more than others. It is also evident that some workplaces have a culture that enables and encourages this notion of linking passion and interest more than others.

Being someone who has strong passions and interests, dissonance starts to become evident when stepping into a workplace that has different cultural expectations around this area of passion and interest and its connectedness to the work one performs. However, the actual awareness of this may not immediate. I am thinking that everyone is a little different in their awareness of this occurring (if it occurs for them), for me the learning curve associated with a new role possibly takes greater significance until the role is understood, before other aspects start to arise as needing attention.

Thinking back to why I jumped into to teaching. It was a combination of passions and interests that aligned well with the doing. My passions and interests have morphed and grown over time as a result of the wonderful opportunities that have come my was, as have my work roles. The question I need to ask myself is do I have enough of a tribe around me to support my need to dig deep into my passions and interests to feel like I am learning and growing… or do I accept a different view on the link between work, passions and interests…?

Time to ponder some more, over coffee of course!