Dear HCN,
As an eighth-grade
science teacher, I empathize with “Asta Bowen’s discouragement
(HCN, 1/18/99). At times, just one negative interaction with a
student or parent can cast a pall over your whole day and cause you
to wonder about your choice of occupation. Ours is a profession
where the results often do not surface until years afterward, and
we as teachers may never be aware of the changes we elicit in our
students’ lives. I want to encourage “Asta to hang in there. It
sounds to me like she is the type of educator, mentor and role
model our students need.
Scott
McKay
Nephi,
Utah
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Don’t give up.
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