1. I am a good teacher because...I am very patient with teenagers, good at dealing with tough crowds, and can turn almost anything into a game.

2. If I weren't a teacher, I would be...a dharma bum??? a hobo??? an eccentric goat herder??? a pirate???

3. My teaching style is...fairly constructivist, and decidedly not oriented towards direct instruction and scripted curriculums. ick. I'm creative enough that I feel cramped by both of those mainstays of teaching.

4. My classroom is...a game of musical chairs where I walk into a different room each day. It can be dizzying at times.

5. My lesson plans... are way over-planned. I usually have to cut them down in real life.

6. One of my teaching goals is...to get better at working with really disaffected and defiant kids.

7. The toughest part of teaching is...trying to reach everyone.

8. The thing I love most about teaching is...the fact that I laugh every day (or almost every day). Kids are hilarious, unlike most adults.

9. A common misconception about teaching is...that teachers keep normal hours. My typical day starts at around 5am, and doesn't end until about 5pm. And that's just subbing (with no requirements to do any grading or attend numerous lengthy staff meetings).

10. The most important thing I've learned since I started teaching...I'm like MacGuyver, I can walk into almost any scenario and make it work.