Dear Andy,

I started writing this as an email in response to my friend and fellow roommate at THE 2024 Campbell residence but then I figured why not just post it on the website and kill two birds with one stone?

Andy asked me what is the most rewarding thing and the most frustrating thing about teaching?

Well, its hard to pick just one frustrating thing because there are so many.  I believe I’ve mentioned many frustrating things but I think so far the MOST frustrating thing is that I have zero training and experience as a teacher.  This is very frustrating because at times I do not have any idea what I am doing.  And as I result, I not only feel frustrated but also guilty.  Guilty that I am learning more about teaching than my students are actually learning what I am teaching.

The most rewarding thing is those rare moments when I actually get through to my students and they actually understand me.  This is a rare occasion but fortunately this rewarding feeling occurred this morning. 

Lately, I have been trying to make class fun, so I have been trying hard to turn almost everything into a game.  On this particular day, I decided to make a time game.  I made some clocks in which the hour and minute hands can move.  So I divided the class into two teams.  Each team had to line up and the first person in line would go first and then go to the back of the line.  I would write a time on the chalkboard and the students would have to move the hands on their clock to show the correct time.  And obviously, the first person to display the correct time gets a point for that team.  We played up to ten.  Team One was dominating but then Team Two came back from behind and won.

It was a miracle I tell ya!

Team One was winning 9 to 5 but Team Two scored five points in a row.  It was pretty awesome and fun.  It was like Ryan Braun hitting a walk off grand slam to win the game by one run.