Why I Teach(我为什么当老师)

iteachbecauseilikethepaceoftheacademiccalendar.june,july,andaugustofferanopportunityforreflection,researchandwriting.

iteachbecauseteachingisaprofessionbuiltonchange.whenthematerialisthesame,ichange--and,moreimportant,mystudentschange.

iteachbecauseilikethefreedomtomakemyownmistakes,tolearnmyownlessons,tostimulatemyselfandmystudents.asateacher,immyownboss.ifiwantmyfreshmentolearntowritebycreatingtheirowntextbook,whoistosayicant?suchcoursesmaybehugefailures,butwecanalllearnfromfailures.

iteachbecauseiliketoaskquestionsthatstudentsmuststruggletoanswer.theworldisfullofrightanswerstobadquestions.whileteaching,isometimesfindgoodquestions.

soteachinggivesmepaceandvariety,andchallenge,andtheopportunitytokeeponlearning.

however,themostimportantreasonswhyiteacharethatmystudentsgrowupandchangeinfrontofme.somehavebecomedoctoralstudentswithexcellentsuccessandfoundgoodjobs;somehavebecomeinterestedintheurbanpoorandservedascivilrightslawyers;somehavedecidedtofinishhighschoolandgotocollege.

butteachingofferssomethingbesidesmoneyandpower.itofferslove.notonlytheloveoflearningandofbooksandideas,butalsothelovethatateacherfeelsforthatrarestudentwhowalksintoateacherslifeandbeginstobreathe.perhapsloveisthewrongword.,magicmightbebetter.

iteachbecause,beingaroundpeoplewhoarebeginningtobreathe,ioccasionallyfindmyselfcatchingmybreathwiththem.