Doctrine of Unintended Consequences

I sit here this afternoon, humbled and teary (Oh Search, not again!). The little essay on ratemyprofessor was, as many of my musings, a way for me to work through something. It helped, and publishing seems to be part of the help, at least for me. After I posted, I thought “Well, there was some whining Woody. (Searchie-pie to one of you)” But I don’t take down things I post, so there it sat. The responses were humbling. And yes, very pleasing too.
As I move away from the center of my career to the fringes, I can’t help wonder sometimes what good has come of it? I have been known to be a bit pessimistic about some things from time to time, and recently more than earlier. But not here. Not with My TU Students. I know to the marrow how hard you worked, in fact how hard I worked most of you. I know you left my domain knowing a lot of content and for many knowing how to think analytically. Still, as most teachers know, you let them go with a hope and prayer and mostly never hear how they did.
I did not write the essay to winkle kind thoughts or praise or anything really. I wrote to clarify in my own mind the seeming decline of Me. And I think I got it: different venue, different perception. Many of my Students will remember me talking about the “Doctrine of Unintended Consequences”. This is a perfect example.
Thank you for the unintended consequence. And the blub.
Image: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=254327