Have you ever had a teacher who wasn't passionate about their chosen profession? This week's reading/discussions got me to thinking about one such teacher. She was my oldest's 2nd grade teacher. The class was a wreck. She'd sit at her desk drinking a coke and tell the kids they could not go to the water fountain. She didn't allow bathroom breaks. The little boy who lived down the street from us had several accidents in his desk due to her 'rules'. I had countless conferences with her over the school work. My daughter would bring home papers that were constantly graded incorrectly; stuff that was wrong was not marked so and items that were correct were marked wrong. I became the 'bad guy' with my daughter when I'd make her correct the items, wanting her to understand why it needed to be so. When I brought several papers in to the teacher to discuss the matter, her only comment was, 'That's the way I grade.' *insert shoulder shrug and/or rolling eyes* After several note exchanges and conferences, she went on to tell me that she did not want to teach 2nd grade but was stuck in there "so everyone is going to suffer if I have to!" I tried to involve the principal but she believed that the teacher had the right to run her class as she saw fit. Needless to say, it was not a very good year. The next year was a 180 degree change...new principal, new teacher, new way of thinking and new outlook!! Thank goodness! Her 3rd grade teacher had been 'at it' for many years but LOVED her work...and it showed. My daughter again wanted to go to school; wanted to do extra projects and blossomed! THANK GOODNESS!