Exit: Reliving an Emotional Experience

   "Checkmate!" I smirked, as I moved my queen into a perfect position across the board. My teacher looked up in surprise as realization dawned on him. For years I had been coming to the math room during my lunch break to try and win the, so far unclaimed, prize of pizza for victory against our High School's math teacher. Most likely as a byproduct his inflated confidence, he had somehow missed the infamous 4-move checkmate, resulting in his current predicament.

   "That wasn't a fair match," he replied. "I was distracted by the other student." What followed was a brief verbal argument, concluding with the firm assertion that to win the prize I would need to win again. After years of visiting, practicing, and helping in the math room, I was now quite frustrated towards the same teacher whom I had grown fond of, as I felt cheated out of my prize. Even a slice of pizza from the cafeteria would abate my angst, yet there was none.

   From the discussion in class today, in conjunction with my own reflection, I discovered that many people hold onto frustration, especially when it is derived from misunderstandings. Between the stories I heard, they all had the common factor of the student being misunderstood by either their peers, teacher, or the public. I think it is important that I bring this awareness into the classroom and try to practice empathy, or to be able to put myself into the students' perspectives to understand where they are coming from.