What Teaching Means to Me

I can only do so much to change the course of history at my own University, much less in my neighborhood, my city, my state or the nation. But what I can do is use my classroom as a place where students can discover the power of their own voice, in the light of what others have done before them, and provide an example of a teacher, a parent and a citizen, who deals with difficult issues without fear, and with a commitment to an ideal of fairness that crosses lines of race, gender party and ideology. i am no saint; I am not a model human being. I have huge flaws which almost anyone who knows me can see pretty quickly. But I have a true passion for helping young people become more confident, more inquisitive, more in touch with their own strengths, and more determined to make their mark on the world. And, if I work really hard, and am there through the hard times as well as the good times, my students-- and former students --will not only inspire me, they will make it hard to sleep because I am so excited about what the next day will bring.