Why do I like teaching?
I think it's because I have to think of two things at once. I have to think of communicating with the students, a cyclic language process which can be divided into three stages: 1) me talking to them and ensuring they understand what I say, 2) them thinking and then responding to me, and 3) me understanding what they said. Stages 1) and 3) are under my control, but 2) the responsibility of the students, is not. This is very much the content side of teaching. The English language, used and discussed is the focus, for both me and them.
At the same time as this is happening, however, I have to be thinking of the teaching process. That is, I have to be analyzing how what is happening is furthering their learning of English. This is not generally something which I discuss with the students, although ideally it should be discussed.
Expressed as an epigram: Inquiry into the nature of language learning, while trying to find the chalk.
