Thinking of it as a Gift

I've really got no idea what I'm doing, but this is, as they say, familiar territory for me.

I don't know whether teaching is an art or a science. I hope it's both and that it's ok if I mix in a little more of one than the other. If not, I've been doing it wrong since 1998.

An incredibly interesting semester seems to be upon us. For the first time in a long time, there appear to be fewer restrictions on what & how to teach.

I am fortunate to be working in a school with a new campus and equipment that was in sight of cutting edge when the purchase orders were approved for it last year. I'm also lucky enough to have at least several students out of over 100 that are motivated to learn and to create.

Like any other school in Taiwan, there are communication problems, misunderstandings, and extended periods of mind-numbing annoyance.  There is a certain equilibrium between students that have changed my hair color from what it looks like on my ID photo to what it looks like on my head, and the students who snooker me into thinking that ok, perhaps I can do this teaching thing for just one more year.

I need to work out which set is more detrimental to my well-being.