Not that Darby wasn’t serious about teaching. She took her work and students seriously, but she met them where they were developmentally. She tried to infuse humor, fun, and irreverence in her lesson plans, and more than anything, she wanted to create a classroom environment where every student felt safe and heard.
Most mornings, William dropped by Darby’s room to get her advice on lesson plans or how to deal with a challenging student.
“I saw you at the park last night.” William approached her desk and offered her a doughnut from the pink box. “Doughnut?”
Darby declined. “No thanks.”
“I’ve got jelly-filled.” William lifted the lid to display the doughnuts and raised his eyebrows twice.
“That is tempting. Jelly-filled is my weakness. How did you know?” Darby smiled and motioned for him to sit down.
William set the box on her desk and sat across from her. “I listen.”
“You do.” She helped herself to a raspberry-filled doughnut dusted with powdered sugar. “That’s the reason the kids love you.”
William waved off her compliment. “I don’t know about that.”
“I do.” Darby gave him her best teacher face. “Listen, I’ve been teaching for nearly as long as you’ve been alive, and I can say with confidence that the students have a real connection with you. That’s all that matters, trust me.”
He broke off a piece of an apple fritter. “Thanks; I appreciate your vote of confidence. I wish I had a clue what I was doing. Every day feels like I’m diving into the deep end and having to relearn how to swim. Well, not even swim, just tread water to stay afloat.”
“That’s normal,” she assured him. “Anyone can learn how to plan a good lesson or follow a curriculum. The things that make a great teacher can’t always be taught. Your connection with the students is the most important piece right now. The rest will come with time.”
William took a minute to savor the fritter. “I wish I had time. It’s hard because I’m only here temporarily, and I know how impossible it is to get a teaching job these days. Openings don’tcome up very often, so I want to make the most of it, but I also don’t want to get too attached either.”
Darby nodded as she took a bite of the doughnut. Raspberry jam oozed out. “You’re on contract through spring break, right?”
“Yep.” He offered her a napkin.
“That’s three months.” Darby dabbed a spot of jelly from her chin. “My advice is to make the most of it. It’s great practice for when you eventually get a permanent position.”
“I think you meanif.” William’s face shifted.
“If?”
“It’s my parents.” He sighed and licked glaze from his finger. “My dad wants me to take over the family business. They’ve humored me with this ‘teaching thing,’ as they like to call it.”
“What do you mean, humoring you?”
“My dad has wanted me to take over the business forever, but now he wants to retire. He’s been pressuring me every minute of every day. I feel like I will let him down if I say no, but I feel like I will be miserable for the rest of my life if I say yes.”
“Can I offer some advice?” Darby rubbed her sugary hands together and sat up taller.
“Please.” William broke off another hunk of the fritter.
“Jim and I had big visions of retiring early and traveling the world. I never expected he wouldn’t be here. Life is too short to do what someone else wants you to do. You should do what makes you feel fulfilled.” She blinked back tears at the memory of their many plans that would never come to fruition.
William nodded, but Darby could tell he wasn’t entirely in agreement. He changed the topic. “How was last night for you? It must have been rough.” His tone was tender and filled with concern.
Darby had been surprised by how well she and William had hit it off. He almost felt like a son to her. Like everyone else in Bend, she had heard stories about the Graff family thatranged from classifying them on both ends of the spectrum. Some people insisted the Graffs were philanthropic with the community’s best interest at heart. In contrast, others claimed that their large financial donations were purely for show and to take advantage of the tax benefits.
If William was any indication, then Darby was in the first camp. From day one, he’d been humble, kind, and eager to do his best for the kids.
“It was hard,” Darby admitted. She sighed, not trusting herself to say more without breaking down.
William picked up on her emotion, once again shifting the conversation. “Hey, so I wanted to ask you about this ‘reading for fun’ campaign. I had an idea, but I’d like your thoughts before I go full force.”
“Sure.” Darby took another bite of the doughnut, grateful not to have to talk about Jim more.
