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It has been a long time since my last post, but my students must come first.

I have a confession to make–I haven’t always believed that.

For many years of my career, I put myself ahead of my students’ education, always thinking about what I can do to make my work easier, to make myself look good, to further my career, to improve my “numbers” (recruitment, retention, and success rates).

Despite this, I think I was still a good teacher; self-interest and ambition are strong motivators to improve one’s performance. Also, one of my strengths is that I have always cared about my students as people. In addition, I still believe a strong liberal arts education means more than a ticket to a job but will help my students lead better, more productive lives. The non-pecuniary benefits of a liberal arts education are real.

And yet, I don’t think I always valued their education enough to stand up for it.

I have to get grading again, but soon, I will elaborate.

Until next time!