Why I teach Middle School.

"I am frequently the lone adult in a room of pre-adolescent, hormonally unpredictable young people, and that strangely, I love it. That sounds odd. But it is precisely this vulnerability that I enjoy protecting, even when it manifests as eye rolling, a surly sigh accompanied by a desk slap, or loudly crumpled papers. It's an unpopular age to teach. Junior-highers aren't cute. They don't give you hugs, and they can't discuss Shakespeare yet. They don't come back to thank you and you're rarely remembered at graduation. That's ok. I think tendering the transition from childhood to adolescence is a lot like beekeeping. You are stung many times, and you must be careful in your movements. But under the surly hum is a sweetness and a resonance that sometimes feels - and sounds - like music."