Most teachers teach because it gives them deepest sort of satisfaction

 Gaining fulfillment from nourishing others’ minds and lives  And it involves plain good fun ◦ Laughter ◦ Humor ◦ Wit ◦ Play as well as work ◦ A place for light hearts and serious minds ◦ Have fun and do good work

 At its very best, teaching is a form of intellectual play in which students are invited to join. ◦ Delight in chance and the unexpected ◦ Concentration ◦ inventiveness

 The pleasure of teaching and learning must always be directed at raising understanding and aspiration ◦ Never come at another’s expense ◦ Always in service to appreciation, not depreciation ◦ Never cynical, a denial of wonder and play ◦ Never cost a student’s self-respect ◦ Never diminish the intrinsic integrity of something

 “Pleasure means creating an atmosphere in which students enjoy learning.” ◦ Learning leads to pleasures and satisfactions of the greatest sort:  Enhances their understanding of the world  Gives a glimpse into the mysteries of life  Leads to new and alien realms of knowledge  That is, learning is fun

 “Pleasure requires letting others wit shine.” ◦ Humor and fun are clarifying, relieving, and engaging ◦ Humor, when generous, should be encouraged

 “Pleasure leads teachers to reveal their own joys and pleasures in learning and teaching.” ◦ Back to really knowing and liking the subject ◦ Should impart your own love of the subject to your students ◦ Exemplify the deep pleasure which your own continuing learning brings

 “Pleasure means acknowledging the difficulties as well as the joys of learning.” ◦ To gain the satisfactions of learning, students must be confirmed in their struggles, frustrations, and disappointments

 “Pleasure comes from witnessing the successes of former students as the years go by.” ◦ Some of the pleasure of teaching must be prospective ◦ Teachers’ greatest joys originate in discovering that their students have done well

 “In its ultimate form, teachers’ pleasures arises from the knowledge that their students have learned something from them.” ◦ We hope that our students understand what we have given to them and to be recalled with affection