A WARM HANDSHAKE AND A SINCERE “THANK YOU!” As a university professor teaching numerous courses, I am accustomed to seeing a lot of students come and go, year in, year out. However, I do try to get to know my students personally while I’m their instructor and when, at the end of a course, a student takes the time to approach me, offer a warm handshake and say a sincere “thank you,” adding at times, “I really learned a lot from this course,” I remember why I became a teacher and feel like all of this is worthwhile.
I try to tell my students, “We study for life, not for school,” and that “exams are a necessary evil.” Along the way, I really have had students who, I feel, have truly learned what that means and that really makes me so happy … So, even though I catch myself wishing at times that I could be in a major research institution so I can devote more time and energy to research and writing (yes, I love those activities passionately too), I guess, I still can’t let go of teaching undergraduates … I cherish them and I cherish and relish teaching!
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