“We have to fight for authentic human connection in the world we live in, so I hope for the classroom to be a place of trust and vulnerability, through shared personal stories, the building of empathy, and inspired silliness. I am a believer in spontaneous dance parties, puppy videos, and word games. Laughter is probably my favorite single thing about teaching, followed closely by seeing students get excited about etymology and syntax–how words and linguistic constructions contain histories and nuance. Having students memorize poetry is the one of the best ways I know to help them grok the deep, almost unutterable meanings embedded in language rhythms.”