I am not a "math" person

Yet I'm teaching math! How does that work?

One of my students came in today and said, "You must love math," probably because I had a long "Do Now" on the overhead that he didn't want to do. I also get lots of comments about how I'm a work-a-holic and how I have so much energy. Yet, my passion really isn't in math or physics Yes, I do enjoy it, and yes, I do like the theory behind it, but I do not get excited when I get a critical thinking problem to solve (such as many we've had in EDSE 645) nor do I try to figure out how things work (from more of a physics perspective).

I declared my physics major way late, later than I was actually supposed to. I was almost a religious studies major...and my last 2 years were unpleasantly filled with too many physics courses. I liked physics cuz it made me think, and it challenged me more than anything I had ever taken. But I am certainly not passionate about it. I enjoyed some of my classes, I loved my professor (for the most part) but it's not where my main interests lie.

So here I am teaching high school math and physics, and loving it. Why? And how do I get energized to teach? I like the more elementary math and physics, and I enjoy teaching it to others. More than anything, I love the students. Even though they also drive me insane daily, this is where I draw my energy from. I love their humor, their energy, their immaturity, and the fact that they are (mostly) trying to make it. I love that I am there to serve as an unstated positive role model. I love their funny ways of saying things and their dancing and excitement to see me outside of school. I know when I've had a good class when the students are interested, working, interacting, and we are all happy to be there. We feed off of each other.

I suppose I'm more of anthropologist than a physicist, and isn't that what teachers are called to be?