The Unseen Teacher

Sometimes I feel like all the students see is my classroom door and my back as they walk out after class. I spend hours planning lessons that are supposed to ignite curiosity, but maybe all I'm doing is setting up a slideshow for them to breeze through on their way to becoming adults. Yesterday, one of the brightest kids in class asked me how long I've been teaching, it was like he didn't know, or care. Told him three years now, and yeah, I've tried everything from making robots out of straws and paper clips to hosting a debate with no rules but decorum. Still feel like that one kid who can't find their way into the popular crowd at lunch.