I interrupt some of them, interviewing them for an article that won't begin to include all the information I pester them for, and I witness an amazing transformation. Tired eyes begin to sparkle as they talk about their experiences at NASA, and they become animated as they relate how they'll be able to use what they've gained in the classroom. Excitement is a word they use again and again. They want their students to be excited about learning, as excited as they are. The adage that those who can, do and those who can't, teach doesn't seem to fit.
Education is their life, more than just their job.
Not all teachers are like this, I know. Some are biding their time, going through the motions, not having learned anything new since their long-ago college days. Michael O'Connor of Abilene is communications director for the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation and the husband of a science teacher. E.W. Scripps Publications , All Rights Reserved. Site users are subject to our User Agreement .