Beyond the Board
A long while back, when Perl—short for Practical Extraction and Reporting Language—was still new, I was invited by a training organization that was known at the time to teach it as a special course. Despite their low offer, which was the same rate as their HTML instructors and less than what I needed to commute to and from the training venue, I was excited to share my knowledge. After delivering a demo class that excited the attending instructors about Perl, I encountered an unexpected hiccup. One instructor expressed dissatisfaction because I hadn't erased the whiteboard after class. This small critique overshadowed the enthusiasm of the other instructors and the positive vibe of the entire exercise. The next day, when the Director General of the training organization called about my preferred teaching schedule, I politely declined the offer. The nitpicking about the whiteboard erased any desire to continue with the opportunity. In the end, it wasn't just about the low pay on the one hand or the love of teaching on the other; it was about feeling valued and appreciated for the effort and passion put into sharing knowledge. This encounter served as a reminder of the importance of respect and support in any teaching or learning environment.
