Christensen Chapter 1

I spent hours last night talking to my boyfriend about Christensen's introductory chapter Building a Community Out of Chaos- 15 minutes of which I am sure he appreciated. How could I help it? Christensen seems to encapsulate all the ideals of why I want to be a teacher with her insight into the importance of establishing a community in the classroom. The chapter is so eloquently written, so promisingly hopeful. Her summary's seems to say that even "troubled students" can connect with each other through understanding and empathy. Christensen even  promises us that if an educator can  just put herself out there enough she will be able to enable her pupils to understand that "solidarity and courage are the values to be prized in daily life." 

Believe me, I want to believe. After reading the chapter and taking notes (yes, I teared up at the Fredrick Douglas quote "Power concedes nothing without demand"-Come on! How moving is that??) I felt so purposeful! I had to talk! Blab I did, just ask my man, two and half hours of talking about connecting classic literature to themes still applicable to teens today, and choosing stories that would encourage the development of empathy with other students, cultures, the world! Curiously, as I spoke, his eyes became more and more glazed over, at one point I think he even fell asleep. My boyfriend's ambivalence  at the subject matter flabbergasted me! How could anyone not be riveted at the thought of positively changing a students mind through connection and empathy? Slowly, I became less sure of myself. As I was speaking, I kept thinking of that episode of The Simpsons that tracks the life of Reverend Lovejoy. At first Reverend Lovejoy is very excited about becoming a preacher, he has long hair and a guitar and wants to share with everyone the knowledge that he loves. Then over the years, he becomes hardened to his task as life and Ned Flanders wear him down and he loses his good nature. 

Does anyone else worry about this? My boyfriend's disinterest makes me wonder how teachers keep focusing on the positive? I don't think Linda Christensen would have made it through all those years of teaching without an altruistic outlook on the future. I hope that she addresses in the coming chapters how she has managed to keep her chin up through turmoil.