I knew a blog entitled RuminationsfromtheRouge had to include a quote from my favorite Southern author, but choosing just one Faulkner quote is like choosing your favorite (insert noun: child, beer, band, pair of shoes, etc.) so I went with the one that fits me best. Anyone who knows me well knows that one of the reasons I studied history at A&M is because I revel in the gray area and will quite often voice a position opposite my own just to participate in the debate and watch the aftermath. (They also know I'm a big fan of the devil, i.e. devil's advocate & because he's really just more interesting. But that's a different conversation.) Some get upset and others are confused, but I've always been a skeptic and I feel that where there's no contention there's no legitimacy. Thus Faulkner's very articulate supposition makes quite a bit of sense to me.
This actually segues into my first observation about Teach for America - although not really gray area, there are lots of fine lines to be walked. The happy medium between startlingly ambitious yet achievable goals; taking the advice of veteran teachers while charting the course you choose for your class; investing a great deal in the outcomes of your students but not burning yourself out.
Anyway, I'm sure there will be more to come on the topics of contradictions, gray area, fine lines, etc. But that's all for now at least. Cheers.
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