Back before I started TAing, I was worried that I would really hate it.  I was worried that no one would talk, or that I would bore the crap out of my students.  Tara sat me down, and told me that if I spoke as passionately to my classes about literature as I did to her, I wouldn't have anything to worry about.  She also said that I'd get one or two students who really enjoyed the work, who really got what it was like to study literature, and that they would come and talk to me, and I would love that.

Well, today, after class, one of my students sat and talked with me about her essay, and she was really excited about it, and had a great idea to write about.  And it was awesome to see that kind of enthusiasm in someone else.  I feel it fairly often.  But to get the idea of someone else feeling something like that was fantastic.

I really didn't think I would like teaching.  Lecturing, sure.  But that's a little more anonymous.  But teaching in a small classroom was certainly not on my list of things I was looking forward to.  It's still work, I'll admit.  But it's good work.