Best Christmas present I've had in years.

[InternalDialogue]

Well, the best present for a dork like me.

From my sister-in-law -- a gift certificate to The Teaching Company.

In the near future, I shall be an expert on some topic or another.

[some guy]

1. Hey! That's pretty cool.

Thanks for posting. It makes a nice gift idea.

:hi:

I hope you have fun becoming an expert... :D

[InternalDialogue]

2. Perhaps I will use my knowledge for evil.

Isn't a cool idea, though? Why couldn't I have been interested in learning when I was actually in school?

:hi:

[some guy]

3. Why...

my theory is school is designed to kill a person's interest in learning. :(

A student has to get kind of lucky to find a teacher who both inspires learning, and is teaching a subject which may spark intense interest in the student.

I had some classes I really liked, but the teacher wasn't inspiring; I had some really cool teachers, but the subject didn't fire anything in me.

Or it could be that I just didn't really understand how to learn when I was in school. I got good at remembering the facts, and passing tests, but learning to question and seek answers to my questions - that I didn't get taught.

I sort of had to find my own way to that.

:shrug:

[InternalDialogue]

4. "Learning to question and seek answers"

That, to me, is what sets some people apart.