Periodically I think about the 1994-1995 school year, which was my absolute best year teaching. At times it seems so recently, while at other times it seems so far away, but the warm feelings from that year have never faded away completely. Naturally I have always assumed that was a once-in-a-lifetime year that could never happen again, but I have surely been blessed because so far this teaching year has been just as wonderful as that year was.

Even without these two years I have had a very enjoyable teaching career, but having two such exceptional years makes me one of the most fortunate teachers ever. And to think that I always considered myself a failure because of my inability to write fiction for a living. No fulltime writer could possibly have had two such successful years as I have had as a teacher!