Without the allowance for pictorial evidence, it is impossible to accurately convey the unique character of The Look. It is a glimmer of unlimited possibilities. For a brief moment, behind the eyes of the student, lies the belief that they can understand the very nature of the universe. It is with tremendous satisfaction that a teacher observes a smile slowly creeping across the face of their pupil, drifting to a grin of complete contentment. It is for this moment, when I know I have helped someone to understand something they were unable to just a moment before, that I have dedicated myself to teaching.

The opportunity to experience The Look can come at any moment – it can be signaled by the tugging of a pant-leg by a tiny hand, or by a much larger version of that same appendage being waved in the air. Each and every one of us has our own variation of The Look. From my grandmother’s raising of one eyebrow, to the slow, sideways glance common among teenaged boys. One particularly delicious flavor of The Look, however, is that from a young child. Often accompanied by a partially toothless grin, this iteration is nothing short of breathtaking. To be a teacher is to be extremely fortunate, especially to be a good one, who encounters The Look at regular intervals. To a teacher, The Look is more beautiful than any landscape and far more exciting than any adventure. It is the Earth, the Moon, and the stars, all gleaming in the eyes of a child. For The Look means far more than a gaining of understanding. It means that this student, this person, has had their life enriched, and changed forever. The Look is about expanded horizons, and the doors that have just opened to their lives. And most of all, what truly makes everything worthwhile for teachers, The Look is about the knowledge and satisfaction that they have helped in this journey.

It is conceivable that The Look could appear to be a selfish reason for wanting to teach. Teaching is, of course, a noble profession, dating back to before the days of Plato and Socrates. To have the distinction of a teacher, of being an "educator", has been the object of society’s highest respect. It is the belief of many Central and South American tribes that the elderly are to be honored, not solely for their past contributions to the society, but for what they can pass on to future generations. As well they should be honored. The dedication of one’s life to enriching the lives of others through learning is a truly heroic gesture, one for which teachers must be exalted. Teachers are truly selfless, or so should be the belief. They have a secret, however, one which they hold dear to their hearts, and one from which they receive endless gratification; The Look.