I used to teach religion classes to Mormon teenagers every morning, and that’s how I learned that I wanted to be a teacher.

Although I was up at the ungodly hour of 4:30 every morning to commute to my teaching gig and it was a thankless and unpaid position, I loved it.  I came home alive and ready for more.  Late into the evening I would stay up scheming ways of edu-taining my students–so none of us would be nodding off in class, and I loved that challenge.

After from teaching in the college classroom this afternoon, I’m feeling that same adrenaline surge.  Today my students gave some two-minute lightning presentations.  It was a daunting task–to get up in front of the class and try to hold their attention while speaking about the implications of the involvement of the federal government on the environment of the American West.  But they did well, even through a bit of nervous shakiness and laughter.  And I came away marveling at the fact that they are doing hard work and, above all, learning.