Competence

Last night, I walked into class better prepared, more confident, and less self-conscious. I was full of energy and authority and self-assurance, and that person from last week who apologized with her body language and her eyes and her tone of voice for being the teacher, boring and in charge, was gone. The students responded to me and I enjoyed being there. And now I remember how I "got through" all those other semesters of teaching. I did it by liking what I was doing, and by liking who I was while I did it.