I felt I'd finally reached a point in my teaching career where I was more than a few steps ahead of my students. Then, in 2004, I met Merzudin, a sophomore in my English class. The class was small, and the students seemed eager to learn. All of them, that is, except Merzudin.Merzudin stood over 6 feet tall and towered over most sophomores. He'd put his head on the desk and frequently fall asleep. He didn't seem to be paying attention.