What do you like most/dislike most about teaching?

As we reach the end of the year, I've been doing a lot of reflection on the practice of teaching. This is part of that series. Today's topic is what I like most/least about teaching.

"What do you like most/dislike most about teaching?"

I think the thing I like most about teaching, is the same thing most other teachers mention when they're in the teacher's lounge and having a really good day: It's that magical moment when students "get it". That moment when it's obvious the student has figured out something, learned how to do something, or finally understands something that's been elusive. You can see the lights go on, they get that "look" and it's just a beautiful thing to watch. It's really wonderful to see another person learn how to do something new for the first time--it's the same thing that makes parenting enjoyable--watching the world recreated every day through another person's eyes.

As adults, we tend to get jaded, but thankfully the students keep the world alive and fresh, and full of possibility, and as teachers, we get the privilege of watching this process unfold time after time. It's wondrous, and it's the thing that makes all the bad days, failed lessons, unruly students, fire drills, and other madness that also is a part of the job, worth it.

The thing I dislike most is the polar opposite of the above: the student who is completely unmotivated. I vastly prefer students who literally can't learn how to do something to those who could but choose not to. Motivation is everything in learning, at a certain level, you have to want to learn. Students who don't want to learn drive me crazy because it's not something I have ever really experienced, so I can't relate to it at all. I love learning. I think learning new things is inherently enjoyable. I like to figure things out, and discover new things. I literally cannot imagine what it would feel like to be any other way, so students who sit there and choose to do nothing drive me crazy because I just can't relate to the mindset. I know some of the factors that contribute to the problem: low-self esteem, belief that they can't do something, etc, but it doesn't make it any easier for me. For me, this is one of the hardest things to overcome. I have a number of things that I try when presented with these students, but ultimately, the only thing that seems to make the difference with these kinds of students is a shift in their own attitude.