difference making
I was making my way to a table of friends at Trudy's when somebody stood up from his table to greet me. He turned out to be a former student of mine from my Perl class, who's now interning at a company that uses Perl for everything. It was my first concrete evidence that my teaching actually made a difference for somebody, and I have to admit it feels wonderful. My particular research in computer science is very abstract, much closer to basic research than applied. It's not clear that my thesis research will ever make a difference in the world. I suppose that's the nature of research: a low probability of making some high-impact discovery. So it's nice to know that some of my other work has had a real impact, however small, on another person's life.
It just annoys me that I don't remember the kid's name or writing the letter of recommendation he mentioned. I wish I were better with names. The other day I met our three new next-door neighbors, and their names went in one ear and out the other. In my defense, I had just come home from running ten miles, but I don't have any excuse for forgetting my student. Heck, I remember revisiting my high school and alma mater after graduating and talking with former teachers and advisors who clearly remembered me. Why can't I pay it forward to my exceptional students?
It just annoys me that I don't remember the kid's name or writing the letter of recommendation he mentioned. I wish I were better with names. The other day I met our three new next-door neighbors, and their names went in one ear and out the other. In my defense, I had just come home from running ten miles, but I don't have any excuse for forgetting my student. Heck, I remember revisiting my high school and alma mater after graduating and talking with former teachers and advisors who clearly remembered me. Why can't I pay it forward to my exceptional students?