Passion

     The final portion of chapter 7 and the book are more metaphors.  A reference back to taming the fox, a grandmothers gravy, and a bread maker.  Two things really hit home with me in few pages of this book.  We must learn from the students,and we must develop a passion.  If we can successfully master these two things we will become the teacher that changes young lives.  

   In the metaphor of Taming The Fox it is the fox who becomes the teacher.  We must allow ourselves to be teacher and learner.  Every day students will show us what is effective and what is not.  We must be able to decipher the clues, or the lesson they are teaching and reflect to make our response better.  We can never think we know it all, but learn from every student that we have.  We must be aware of what their needs are and make adjustment to our responses.  It is impossible to know everything or have the perfect system as children will change over time and we must learn and change as well.  No class will be the same as another, because no student is the same as another.
      I enjoyed the metaphor about the grandmothers gravy and it hit home with me.  I have yet to walk into a classroom and know that I was a central piece of it.  I can not claim to have a passion for teaching as I have never done it.  I can say that I have a passion for learning how to become a teacher, but not a teacher.  If we can keep the passion at every level we will develop that passion for teaching.  As I was reading this I thought of another example, dating.  How does dating apply to obtaining a passion for teaching? Well, how does spaghetti sauce?  In dating, on that first date it is very hard to develop a true passion and love for the other person.  You are nervous and just trying to find out about the other person, but if you like them over time you could develop a love for that person. Teaching can be the same, enjoy the step you are at, learn as much as you can, and one day the passion will be there. To become a great teacher you must be passionate, but it simply starts with doing your best, caring about student needs, and enjoying the process.