Good Reason to be Great Teacher

So we were hungry on Sunday and did not feel like cooking especially with all the great football and basketball to watch on tv.  I called my favorite pizzeria to place the order for two large pizzas -- a veggie and a three cheses white pizza -- and then the person on the other end of the phone asked for the name, as they always do to know who's pizza belongs to whom.  I said La Lopa and she repeated it. 

In the background I hear, "Is that Professor La Lopa on the phone?"  The girl taking my phone order said that it was and then she asked me to hold on a minute.  She then got back on the phone and I heard students talking about "Professor La Lopa" in the background.  It was also when my first total of $35 was now $27 courtesy of my students.  My daughter then picked up the pizzas and brought them home and they were AMAZING!  I then thought how cool it was that my students thought to take the time to give me a discount and better than usual pizzas.

And that was when it him me.  What if I was a douche bag as a teacher!?  I wondered how many of my ingredients might have made it to the floor before they were put on the pie!  I wondered if there would have been fewer toppings.  I wondered if the students would have taken turns to spit on the pizzas before baking and boxing.  Indeed many terrible scenarios ran through my mind.  Especially when I stopped to realize that with over 500 students in a university town it is difficult not to find them working the front desk of hotels, waiting tables, cooking, and so forth.  One can only imagine what happens to those faculty who turn up to a hotel or restaurant that are known douche bags and the level of quality they get as a result.

So today's message for quality teaching.  Don't be a douche bag -- your students are cooking your food and they might choose to pay you back for your misdeeds!  I can't blame them either.