I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.

Foucault’s Pendulum, Umberto Eco

I purposefully plan side tangents in my lessons. When it seems to my students that I’m going off script, it’s all been planned in detail.

It needs to be done because the off moments are what stand out. They draw our attention and get us to listen closely.

They also tend to be short and simple to process, sticking with you for long periods of time.

What makes them interesting is they’re hard-earned by the giver, but feel like throwaway comments in retrospect to everything else that person knows. And yet, it’s the scraps that form us.