Post #8

A: In chapter 7, Carol acknowledged that it is hard to care. She gives several reasons. Which reason is most validating to you, and why? If you don't really connect to any of Carol's reasons, explain what you believe your "reason" is.

"It's hard because people at home need so much of us too, and there seems never to be enough of us to go around, even for those people who are at ground zero in our lives, let alone those who inhabit the perimeters of our lives."
In my own life there's so much going on that I'm spread pretty thin. I feel like the only thing I can do is put my best foot forward where ever I am. If I'm at home I need to concentrate on what's going on at home; when I'm at school I need to truly concentrate on school; and when I'm in my classroom I'll need to concentrate and work my hardest to care in my classroom. Otherwise, it's too 'hard to care'.

B: Carol offers two final metaphors, what I call the "McNurlty Metaphor" and the "London Metaphor." Which one do you connect with most, and why?

I find myself connecting with London's metaphor, not for bread though. (I'm a horrible, terrible cook.) I love that something I'm so bad at (baking) someone else is so passionate about. I hope, that my passion for teaching, most especially special educational teaching will reach others that haven't found their own 'calling' in life. To some it seems a simple task, but to myself I feel that as my students grow, we all evolve and we become our own classroom community; an entity unlike anything in the world, unable to be cloned or remade ever again.

C: Read one or two blog responses from two or three of your classmates. Then, please give a brief message of encouragement to one of your classmates based on your reaction to their response that you read. Leave your message of encouragement on their blog as a comment (at the end of the particular blog your are responding to). Copy your message of encouragement and paste it into YOUR blog, telling me who you are responding to.

Crystal, I completely agree! There are so many things that will make teaching hard, but having students like those you describe will absolutely be towards the top of that list. The fact that you acknowledge that in this post proves that you've got that heart to care and you're ready to make the efforts. You're going to be an incredible teacher to those beautiful second graders, hard to love or not.