Why I teach - Part 1

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When I tell people that I teach, the conversation sometimes gets around to the concerned question about how I handle teaching the same thing year after year. Like daily routines and life (or probably more so), I tell them that every day, even every class, is different. With 20+ personalities having 20+ different types of days in each class, it's a guarantee.

For instance, my students have read To Kill a Mockingbird each of the 24 years I've been teaching. I learned a while ago that I have not seen or heard it all.

For instance, here is what would qualify as yesterday's Student Quiz Answer of the Day:

The question: According to Miss Maudie, why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird?

The "real" answer: Because they don't do any harm to anyone. They only do good by providing beautiful music for us to listen to.

Student's answer: Because all they're doing is dropping next level beats for us.

Points awarded and a fresh perspective on a classic text.

This entry is subtitled Part 1 because there is probably no way I can come up with just one good reason and unlike the Rocky franchise, all of them would be equally good.

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