A Teacher who Researches or a Researcher who Teaches?

At the bottom of it all, I think I'm a teacher ... I love this aspect of my work, perhaps because it allows me to engage with students in ways that help us both move forward. Getting feedback from students is always a learning experience - a way to confirm that I'm doing some things well and to point me in the direction of how I might do better. It's fun to introduce new topics and watch students make connections about how this information can help them in their own work or research. Or, when someone says, "Ah, now I understand..." These are the moments that keep us going. Research, for me, is a way that I teach myself about new & emerging topics; I have the good fortune to be able to pick a topic and learn as much as I can about it. Then, when I write about it, I'm provided the opportunity to test my learning, hear from others, and learn from their perspectives. This constant circle of learning and teaching is what inspires me everyday!