1) Like all of life, teaching is about relationship. Without relationship, the content rarely gets through.
2) My most astute, and academically capable students, are also the ones who give me the most problems.
3) Students are actually interested in what I have to say.
4) I need to give my students more breaks.
5) I now know how to work my laser pointer.
6) I’m finally getting comfortable in my teaching skin.
7) I will not connect with every student. And, that’s ok.
8) I love teaching students how to read the Bible.
9) I use my hands non-stop when I lecture. It's a bit obscene.
10) In a student's mind, me stating "Assignment _____ is due Thursday, August 18th, at 6 pm" (three times in a row), actually means, "This due date is open to negotiation."
11) I’m becoming more ok with my lecture not going as planned, not getting through all of my material, and making judgment calls on the fly. This has been extremely challenging for my Type A personality.
12) I indulge too many tangents, which isn’t always productive. I need to reign this in.
13) I still don’t know how to appropriately respond to questions about the Nephilim in Genesis and Numbers.
14) Just because a lecture speaks powerfully to one class, doesn’t mean it will have the same impact on another class.
15) Writing is a lost art.
16) If you set expectations, students will rise to meet them.
17) I no longer feel the need to throw up in the bathroom before giving a lecture (I’m indebted to Amy Cuddy’s research on power posing for this).
18) I didn’t realize that so much of teaching is preparing students for the real world. If you can’t remember to bring a scantron to your final exam, forget to write your name on your assignments (after explicit directions to do so), or start an email with, “Hey, when is the first night of class?,” the chances of you surviving your first job interview are slim to none.
19) Jesus is transforming lives in the classroom. I'm honored to be a part of this.