When giving comes directly from the heart, it can never disappoint or embarrass.

And that's it; that's why I want to teach; that's the one and only compensation: to make a permanent difference in the life of a child.

The preciousness of every moment is emphasized with every tick of the clock. Isn't it a magnificent day today?

To the outside world, of course, this job is a cinch: 9 to 3, five days a week, two months' summer vacation with pay, all legal holidays, prestige and respect. My mother, for example, has the pleasant notion that my day consists of nodding graciously to the rustle of starched curtsies and a chorus of respectful voices bidding me good morning.

... good teachers, like Tolstoy's happy families, are alike everywhere.

Learning is a process of mutual discovery for teacher and pupil. Keep an open mind to their unexpected responses.

I feel no different than I felt at 99, 98 or 97. Just because you live a long time, you get all this attention. Just because you survived? Of course, I survived a lot.