A reminder from A Christmas Carol:

“He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil.  Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ’em up:  What then?  The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.”

—Ebenezer Scrooge to the Spirit of Christmas Past, talking about the joy of working for his first employer, Fezziwig, in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Is being in my class a pleasure or a toil for my students?  Is it a light or a heavy burden on their souls? Am I making them happy or unhappy? I want to give those myriad tiny words and looks that impart happiness to my students.  I want them to feel more of Fezziwig from me.