Teaching

I'm a teacher. When people ask me what I do, that's what I say, and it is true-- everything else that I do is related to my teaching.

But there are days that I feel like I haven't done a great job of it. Students may not realize how conscious we can be of our own performance; when I walk out I know whether it was a good day or not. Some days you nail it, and some days you fall short.

On those days (like yesterday) when I feel like I have failed in some way, I also feel compelled to do better, to circle back and make clearer what I didn't explain well the first time. In time, that makes me a more successful teacher, but the realization can be painful.

It's a great job. And I have a lot more to learn.