When I was a high school and college student, I remember thinking that writing was a mysterious process—not something concrete that could be consciously learned, but something that I would hopefully just get better at as time went on, through some kind of osmosis, or a talent that some people are just "born with." How wrong I was. Now, I am grateful to be able to teach based on the premise that writing is not a mysteriously transmitted skill, not a rare or innate talent, but a teachable and comprehensible activity we get better at with guidance and practice. Writing is really the result of thinking about the real world. To write well, we have to be interested in and curious enough about our subject to want to share our ideas. It takes time and experience, as do most things we want to become good at, but like most pursuits, the payoffs are huge. I see myself as a coach: helping students find their interests and feel compelled to write about them, teaching tangible lessons so students feel empowered to improve their writing, and finding as many ways as possible to make my classes and assignments fun. Learning is hard, but it can also be exciting.