I'm not that intense (to my knowledge) in social situations, unless I get on to a discussion topic that's really important to me - and then I do tend to drive all but my fellow die-hards away from the conversation! But I'm VERY intense as a student and as a teacher. And that shows up in a lot of ways as a teacher: I have a lot of passion for new ideas and following them through, I'm very high-energy when I'm presenting something, the relationships I have with my students are very important to me, and my beliefs about teaching - many of which are somewhat unorthodox - I hold onto and put into practice no matter what anyone says. My kids love me for it, of course. I think they enjoy seeing an adult who's "always on" and has the capacity to be a bit silly and hyper, because it makes them feel like it's okay for them to feel that way - and yet at the same time, they understand that the care and respect I have for them is genuine, and they see my drive and commitment and I think it models something really good for them. Other teachers tend to look at me with raised eyebrows. Administrators...well, let's not talk about how they react!
