I sort of miss teaching. No, I don't miss the silly bureaucracy; I miss hanging out with kids. I don't miss legislators or "experts" who have never tried to teach a class of 30 individuals telling me how to do things. I miss the excitement students feel when they realize they've mastered a tough skill. I miss the enthusiasm that circulates the room when we reach the climax of a terrific novel.
Then I remember that things have changed in the last decade or two. Reading for pleasure has taken a back seat to television, video games, and Youtube. Vocabularies have declined, attention spans have shrunk, respect for teaching has nearly disappeared. Maybe I'm glad I'm not still in the classroom.
