I love the feeling of being prepared for a class. I don’t always like the preparation itself, but usually I do. I like having a full PowerPoint presentation with good images and documentation, find a video to break up the pace, place the video in the presentation so that it reinforces the reading and the lecture.

Remember that this is supposed to be freewriting. Stop editing as I go, please.

Last week, when discussing the Spanish Civil War, I showed the students an image of Picasso’s Guernica. I swear not a single one of them looked impressed. What I have to remind myself all the time is that I teach these classes more for myself than for the students. Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching, but teaching comes from a love of learning. The thing I love the most about teaching is the opportunity it gives me to keep learning.