The Spark of Understanding: Rediscovering the Joy of Teaching
Yesterday, I had a breakthrough moment with one of my students. For the past couple of months, I felt like I just couldn't reach him. Our communication seemed to be off, not in terms of language proficiency, but in terms of our interpersonal "language". Despite exchanging emails and having online interactions, our conversations felt tense and almost combative. The more we interacted, the more it seemed like we were butting heads, each exchange becoming more serious and strict. After a particularly frustrating misunderstanding last week, I insisted on meeting in person. I know I probably came across as too stern, but it felt necessary. Yesterday's meeting proved that this face-to-face interaction was exactly what we needed. We clearly needed to work on our communication channels. What struck me during our meeting was how I could see in his face the exact moment he understood something. It's a visible spark, a moment of realization that lights up a student's e