If you ask people who have seen the movie “Goodfellas” (and who hasn’t seen Goodfellas) what their favorite scene is, you are likely to hear the Joe Pesci scene where Ray Liotta’s character tells him that he is funny. One of the key lines in that exchange is when Joe Pesci says “I’m funny how? Funny like a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I’m here to (bleeping) amuse you?” I have to admit that this thought has gone through my mind on more than one occasion while being in front of the classroom. Is that what is required of teaching now? Are we instructors, entertainers, or both? And what do these increased demands mean for the rest of our work and faculty experience?
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