Sometimes, I'll look upon the expectant faces of a class and feel utterly exposed. I haven't prepared enough. I'm not as funny as I think I am. I am a fraud of a teacher. Some young faces will do that to you. The bored ones. The sullen ones. The hurt ones. Yet other faces bring a rush of pure joy. Some of these faces are just so bright, so sparkling with life and happiness that they can truly turn a dreary day right around.
Every day I try to remind myself that it's the unlit faces that need the most love. They're gray for a reason. As one of the teachers put it, "They're just asking for love without really asking..." During a difficult class or towards the end of the day, it's difficult to remain perky and energetic and the overwhelming desire to jump into a warm bed with the smell of a nice campfire lingering in the air and the knowledge of hot tea on the bedside table can be maddeningly seductive. However, the class must be taught -- the show must go on. And it must be taught well and go on with a smile. So I imagine Annie while little dancing figures in my head remind me to enjoy my current post and to relish in the envelopment of youth... or fear becoming like Miss Hannigan!
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