A Lunch Meeting - 10/31/07

Today was a strange day. A student from first period asked if she could come in and talk to me at lunch. I of course agreed. She came in and told me this terrible story about her childhood. I tried to be comforting but I am not a professional therapist and the things she told me were very personal and difficult for me to identify with. Today made me realize that in order for a person to work in this environment, one must have a number of different titles and fulfill a number of different roles for these students. I admire the teachers who still have the passion they originally started with and I ignore the pessimistic teachers who gave up long ago but refuse to leave the job for someone who cares. I hope I always have my passion for not only teaching, but for helping students find their way and realize their potential. It would be a complete shame to lose sight of those principles.