What is my goal as a teacher?

The idea recently came to mind that I am not clear on what I am trying to achieve in class. I said to my wife, "Maybe what I am trying to do is so subversive that I am not even willing to admit it to myself." This morning, I reflected with sadness on the many times that I have been unkind to my students. Perhaps there is a connection between the two things, not being clear on my objectives and being unkind. When I am unkind to a student, it is typically because I see the student as working against what I am trying to achieve. But what if the student's behavior is working againt one of my objectives, but is opening up the possibility to achieve another one of my objectives?

Consider two of my objectives, which are at least somewhat in tension with one another:

1. Helping students to understand and value liberty and the American system of government. 2. Helping students to think deeply and critically.

Now if a student challenges something I say in a disagreeable way, then I typically get annoyed, because I perceive the student as hindering my efforts to help students understand and value liberty. But the student is actually doing something positive by challenging what I am saying, by creating the possibility to think more deeply about the subject. The fact that the student is being disagreeable is actually a secondary matter in regard to achieving the second objective.

If I could get clearer on my objectives--all of them--then I think it would help me to act more kindly in the classroom. So long as a student behavior can help us to achieve any of the objectives of the class, I would be able to welcome it.