On Teaching: A GOOD DAY

Today I had four marvelous classes. I wish I could, as they say, bottle up the formula for these classes and use it every day. The kids were fantastic, and I guess I was, too. Everything happened just as any teacher would hope -- lessons were covered thoroughly and efficiently, everyone (everyone!) participated in the discussions, and we had ample time for a thoughtful discussion of Macbeth and A Tale of Two Cities. When the kids left after each class, I thanked them for being wonderful students -- and I meant it sincerely. My big question (and I've asked it for years) is why does this happen on some days and not on other days? Given the same amount of careful planning, why is it that two days in my English class can sometimes seem so different -- one day a major success (like today), and another day an utter disaster? I guess it goes back to the great mystery that teaching ultimately is. I can pretend all I want that I know exactly what I'm doing as a teacher, but when I'm being completely honest, I have to admit that teaching teenagers is like navigating through the vastness of outer space. You hope you turn the ship in the right direction. You hope these speeding asteroids and stars don't smash you to bits. You hope -- and, in the meantime, you go right on enjoying the company of your astonishing students. And today, I thoroughly enjoyed them.