I Love Chemistry

To most people, it would seem that every day passes by; repeating itself over and over again in a tedious almost routine-like manner. But for me, my days are always different.

I'm lucky enough to work with teenagers, simply because they're a lot of fun. They're young and energetic (well, most of the time, when they're not sleeping in class), talkative and humorous and sometimes, they're as crazy as I am.

So being around them, it's hard not to feel young and energetic like them. I guess that's one of the reasons why I've managed to stay young after all these years. I know my peers will probably feel jealous of me saying this but being with teenagers kind of makes me look (almost) like one too! Haha!

My classes are usually fun and I enjoy all of them but once in a while, there'll be a class which just goes so well, I wish it wouldn't stop. Today was one of them. I prepared a workseet for group discussion as a means of revising for literature and I had such a great time listening to their ideas. Sometimes, teenagers can really blow you away with the way they think. There was so much laughter in the class today, my stomach and jaws were hurting after that. I can only hope we have this much fun every week and for all my classes but of course, that can never be.

Every class is different and special in its own way. I'm lucky to say that I don't have any classes which I dislike teaching and I can see that most of my students enjoy being in my classes too. However, there is this thing called 'chemistry' which, much like being in love, is something that's hard to come by. So far, in the last few years of teaching, I've had only one or two classes which managed to create this 'chemistry'. It's a rare thing and I truly cherish it when it happens - such as today.

It really makes me happy to see a class of students being comfortable with each other and having fun together as we learn. Everyone may not be best friends with each other but there is a willingness to communicate, cooperate and contribute to the learning environment which is something I try to create but one which I can't possibly do alone. So, it's really a joy to see those laughing and smiling faces today 'cause everyone made this fun learning environment possible.

I hope all my classes will one day attain this elusive 'chemistry' and help me create a learning environment that's fun and beneficial for everyone, including me. Afterall, happy students make a happy teacher.