Hey @superteacher!

Am not too clear from your post on what it means for you to teach and how you transmit your spark to your pupils.
I am interested in understanding in what sort of school you are teaching and what are your teaching methods.
I am French but live in Barcelona and I wanted to avoid at all costs putting my kids in the French educational system. The image I have of this system (from when I was at school myself, and also from friends here in Bcn who have put their kids in the French school) is so conventional and strictly based on completing the set program by June.
I am extremely lucky to be able to send my kids in the local state school where they learn based on projects and where the older ones help the younger pupils. It requires a lot of dedication and commitment from the teachers as they are not using study books or make the pupils learn a lesson by heart that they can just blurt out to get good marks.
I feel extremely proud that my 10 year-old kid does not write in a beautiful hand-writing and still makes a few spelling mistakes but is able to fully express himself in a structured way making hypothesis, that he learns about biology by creating an eco-system in his class and investigate over 3-4 months its evolution, that he learns about geometry and angles by looking at a map and calculate the angles of each street he needs to follow to get to school from home etc.
This for me is an amazing way to prepare our kids to adapt to the adult world and actually apply what they have learnt in school - and not focus on being the best at something.... educate is also making kids share their strengths with others and exchange - learn that they (we) all can learn from others, and not just from teachers :)