The teaching profession is universally lauded, with teachers praised as self-sacrificing role models of inspiration and creativity. Indeed, teachers are often deified for their efforts at shaping young minds and guiding them along the path of enlightenment and education. Yet, the idea that the teaching profession is exclusively rewarding and satisfying is misguided, and to me the reality of teaching, like the reality that for every one glittering work of art created, a thousand artistic duds are first produced, is often one of frustration to the point of exasperation.
             My successful teaching experience begins with preparation. Good preparation is essential, for fielding questions from curious minded children is one of the hardest aspects of the teaching process. If I am unprepared and fail to adequately respond to an insightful inquiry, then all credibility is lost and I no longer have the respect of the class. Another, perhaps more important element of the teaching process, entails the ability to communicate the lesson plan in an articulate and persuasive manner. There is often a significant disconnect between my intellectual abilities and verbal skills. Therefore, it is vital that I orally rehearse my science lesson to ensure that my educational message is clear, concise, and comprehensible. However, preparation is a time consuming and often tedious process for me, a high school student who spends most of the time doing school works.
             It is through my in-class teaching process that the greatest joys and frustrations of teaching are experienced. My science lesson plan includes a series of specific academic goals that will be met during the course of my lesson. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, these aims are rarely satisfied. My first difficulty is rooted in the varying intellectual levels of the students. A lesson can only proceed at a pace that corresponds to the intellectual capacity of the lowest level students, wh...