基础英语第二册第三单元.docxVIP

第三单元 我为什么当教师你为什么要教书呢？当我告诉一位朋友我不想谋求行政职务时，他便向我提出这一问题。所有美国人受的教育是长太成人后应该追求金钱和权力9而我却偏偏不要明明是朝这个目标“迈进”的工作，他为之大惑不解。Why do you teach? My friend asked the question when I told him thatI didnt want to be considered for an administrative position. He was puz-zled that I did not want what was obviously a step up toward what all Americans are taught to want when they grow up: money and power.当然，我之所以教书不是因为我觉得教书轻松。我做过各种各样的工作，藉以谋生：机修工、木工、作家，教书可是其中最难的一行。对我来说，教书是个会令人熬红眼睛、手掌出汗、精神沮丧的职业。说熬红眼睛，这是因为我晚上无论各课各到多晚，总觉得各得还不充分。说手掌出汗，这是因为我跨进教室之前总是非常紧张，自信学生一定会发觉原来我是个傻瓜蛋。说精神沮丧，这是因为我1小时后走出教室时，确信这堂课上得比平常还要平淡无味。Certainly I dont teach because teaching is easy for me. Teaching is the most difficult of the various ways I have attempted to earn my living: me-chanic, carpenter, writer. For me, teaching is a red-eye, sweaty-pain, sinking-stomach profession. Red-eye, because I never feel ready to teach nomatter how late I stay up preparing. Sweaty-palm, because Im always ner-vous before I enter the classroom, sure that I will be found out for the fool that I am. Sinking-stomach, because I leave the classroom an hour later convinced that I was even more boring than usual.我之所以教书，也不是因为我认为自己能够解答问题，或者因为我有满腹学问，觉得非与别人分享不可。有时我感到很惊异，学生竟真的把我课上讲的东西做了笔记！Nor do I teach because I think I know answers, or because I have knowledge I feel compelled to share. Sometimes I am amazed that my stu-dents actually take notes on what I say in class !这样说来，我为什么还要教书呢？我教书，是因为我喜爱校历的步调。6月、7月和8月提供了一个供思考、研究和创作的机会。I teach because I like the pace of the academic calendar. June, July, and August offer an opportunity for reflection, research, and writing.我教书，是困为教学是建立在“变”这一基础上的职业。教材还是原来的教材，但我自身却变了——更重要的是，我的学生变了。I teach because teaching is a profession built on change. When the ma-terial is the same, I change - and, more important, my students change.我教书，是因为我喜欢有让自己犯错误的自由，有自己吸取教训的自由，有激励自己和激励学生的自由。作为教师，我可以自行作主。如果我想要求一年级学生通过自行编写课本的办法来学习写作，谁能说我不可以那样做呢？这样的课程也许会彻底失败，但我们都可以从失败的尝试中获得教益。I teach because I like the freedom to make my own mistakes, to learnmy