reflection: best teaching moment

The last week of class I started getting a little laissez-faire in my teaching approach. In that I maybe turned the last week into a motivational seminar on how and why we need to be creative and compassionate people. We talked about how much fun they had writing their final paper (a completely creative work with no structural rules at all--they were terrified of it initially but really liked it at the end) and why they had fun. Some answers: "I'm not used to thinking outside of the box so this was really great." "I spend a lot of time thinking structurally so having complete freedom was refreshing." "Everything I do is research-based. Being able to have the chance to see if I can be creative was really empowering." I challenged them to find ways after the course to be creative in their thinking and actions. The last day of class I gave them each a hand out with my favorite Dave Eggers quote on it (which is also my sort of life motto).

It goes like this: "What matters is that you do good work. What matters is that you produce things that are true and will stand. What matters is that the Flaming Lips's new album is ravishing and I've listened to it a thousand times already, sometimes for days on end, and it enriches me and makes me want to save people. What matters is that it will stand forever, long after any narrow-hearted curmudgeons have forgotten their appearance on goddamn 90210. What matters is not the perception, nor the fashion, not who's up and who's down, but what someone has done and if they meant it. What matters is that you want to see and make and do, on as grand a scale as you want, regardless of what the tiny voices of tiny people say. Do not be critics, you people, I beg you. I was a critic and I wish I could take it all back because it came from a smelly and ignorant place in me, and spoke with a voice that was all rage and envy. Do not dismiss a book until you have written one, and do not dismiss a movie until you have made one, and do not dismiss a person until you have met them. It is a f--kload of work to be open-minded and generous and understanding and forgiving and accepting, but Christ, that is what matters. What matters is saying yes."

I had them read it out loud and then asked, "Well, what do you think about that." There was a pause and then Drew, my most reticent, snarky, lazy, and bright student raised his hand and said, "I freaking like that a lot. Like, a whole lot."

Cold teacher's heart --> grew too big for my chest.