Teaching asks us to remain regulated when others are not. That is hard work, and it is often invisible.
Students’ behavior can be triggering, especially when it disrupts learning or challenges our authority. The temptation is to take it personally or to disengage emotionally as a form of self-protection. Both reactions are understandable. Neither creates space for learning.
Curiosity changes the interaction. It slows us down. It allows us to respond instead of react. It does not guarantee outcomes, but it preserves the conditions under which trust and learning are possible.
Persistence, in this sense, is not about pushing harder. It is about holding the line while staying human.
