I feel uncomfortable with narratives of inspirational teachers and life-changing classes. Certainly education has the possibility of granting a student new abilities, new worldviews. But teaching is also a job, a craft you exercise for a few hours a week in exchange for pay. I think that sanctifying the inspirational quality of teaching/learning draws attention away from the transactionality that is its context. Perhaps there is something material, valuable, and good within those transactions that–though not inspiring–offers real benefit to students.

For this post, consider the impacts your student could have. What can you imagine as the most powerful impact of teaching first year writing for any given student? Taken to its most idealistic extend, what can a class like English 101 do?