More (hopefully the last) on Teaching

I know I should shut up about it, but I can't seem to help myself. I read this line on the website leaving academia. I think it was originally in a movie, but can't be sure. In any case, someone described academic life as being like 7/11 in that we're always open. I'm not sure exactly how they meant it, but I know how I took it. Nietzsche says somewhere that a good teacher must view reality through the student, literally live for the student. That is, he or she recgonizes that any moment might be presented in the classroom for a pedagogical purpose and is always open to that possibility. I know for myself I felt this most accutely whenever I was reading any editorial in The New York Times or a critical essay in The New Republic. I would immediately think, is this something I could present to my class and would view it as a possible pedagogical exercise. His point, and mine, is that being a good teacher is an art like any othe art. And if that is your art, you need to devote yourself fully to it. That is, bring all of your talents and energy to it and then it can be fulfiiling. But realize you will have nothing left for yourself. If it is difficult, then like all difficult thigns it is also rare. I have known maybe one person who hits this mark. But that's about right. How many true artists can there be? I remember hearing, I think it was Robert Frost, on being informed that there were five hundred poets on the payroll of the U.S. government during the depression, replying that there haven't been five hundred poets in history. O.K. I'll be quiet now.