There is no doubt that teaching forces me to confront my own humanity almost every day. Yesterday, in fact, I snapped at a student who was annoying me, and then felt terrible about it until the next morning.
What makes these incidents so disappointing for me is that I try very carefully to "manage" my life in order to be in tip-top shape while teaching--so that I don't screw up and snap at students who annoy me. I make sure that I get enough sleep, eat well, and prepare dilligently for each class. I do these things carefully and intentionally so that I will be as well-rested, patient, and refreshed as possible as I face the demands of my 115 students each day. I place great importance on my relationships with students and work hard to cultivate those relationships through genuine and consistent interest in their lives. However, no matter how well I try to arrange my life to optimize myself for the classroom, there are always times when I can't escape the limitations of my own humanity--my pride will prevent me from admitting I'm wrong in front of a class; I'll be short-tempered with a kid; I'll neglect a struggling student; I'll stress out about an obnoxious parent; or I'll let my feelings (and pride) be hurt by criticism of my teaching.
The good news, however, is that it can be a gift to be faced with my own shortcomings on a daily basis. It ensures that I don't live in a dream-world in which I'm the star. It keeps me humble. It causes me to feel deeply--to hurt, to seek help, to pray, and to have hope. These are great things and I'm thankful to be in a profession which prompts me to experience them.
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