The image above is the first thing that popped into my head as I was digesting both the "vulnerabilities" of chapter 6 and the "joys" in chapter 7 and the dilemma posed above. What I was able to figure out from these chapters was that the very same vulnerabilities discussed in the readings are often (ironically) the fuel for the "joyous" fire that burns within all of us as educators and administrators. When Durka said "The journey of life is full of surprises. Sometimes they are joyful, but at other times we want a little more direction" (p. 74) I immediately thought of the uncertainty we often face in educational settings like the one I mentioned above.Through it all though, we are blessed to work in such an amazing field. Despite the vulnerable situations we put ourselves in every day, the joy that results from our situational uncertainties is able to provide a fulfilling inner AND outer journey. Gloria summarized my opinion best when she stated "We realize that we do what we do because we feel called to do it. It is for us a source of joy. And we give thanks for it." (p. 80)
The same source of immense satisfaction and warmth can, upon reflection, produce feelings of inadequacy and utter failure when we even try to meet all the diverse needs in our classrooms. Your chosen image is instructive as in the long run those 4-AP-class students sometimes burn out, and those LD students often achieve way beyond their individual means. We never really know what actual part we play in their futures -- my own teachers have no idea how they impact me to this day -- but we do the best we can when they are in our charge.
ReplyDeleteHey Don,
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting idea, to be attuned to their needs which leads essentially to more questions than answers. I wonder if she's driving at the mystery of our personhood? That we are complex beings such that to know one thing only shows us how much we don't know.