Test Day

Today was the day of the final test in my class (as a matter of fact, my students are taking the test right now). They're such good kids, and I hope that they feel that I've been a somewhat competent teacher. I didn't get to devote nearly as much time to my teaching as I did last semester, and I feel like I've cheated them a bit for not spending more time planning my lessons and doing more with them outside of class. Luckily, they've got quite a bit of talent, and they will no doubt be successful despite my stuttering and absent-minded performances.

Goodness, I will miss teaching. I get such a thrill out of showing my students the intricacies of our complex (and oftentimes goofy) language. The best part is teaching them what they already instinctively know, but then showing them the reason and the history behind it. It's like taking the faith of your parents and achieving your own personal understanding of it, the "Why" of it. As I pound into my students daily, the best question to ask at every moment is "Why?". I think, as the semester comes to a close, that I have finally begun to see my students ask "Why?" voluntarily. What a feeling!