Action #1 Get Experience With All Types of Learners and Their Families

As a child with two loving parents and an older sister, I grew up in a safe and comfortable environment. Yet for some children, this is not the case.

On Sunday November 11, 2007; I attended the Fall Mainstage Step on a Crack.

The director's notes are as follows:

"Sometimes we think our imagination and creativity are frivolous - things to be added in to our lives only if there is time, energy and money left after all the 'important' things are taken care of. But our creative selves also help us survive. They have the power to guide us through life's rough spots, giving us outlets to process and grow through challenges and come out safely on the other side..."
- Michelle Milne

One of the main challenges the main character, Ellie, had to go through was the fact that her dad remarried after her mother had passed away years before. Throughout the entire play, you could tell how hard it was becoming for the whole "new" family to adapt. Ellie wanted her dad's attention back and the stepmother, Lucille, only wanted to be a mother to Ellie. Everyone started to snap and tension build up to where Ellie couldn't take it anymore.

This play was a prime example of how different and hard family situations can be for some people. Everything was in a different perspective for Ellie and I personally can't relate. My parents are still together and I've had the same mother my whole life. For the first time in my life, I could hear what that feels like and see it in numerous situations. I have friends that have been through a divorce in the family but I don't always get to see what goes on day to day or everything they are thinking. I could get that through this play and it hurt to see what actually goes on. Everything turns out okay in the end of the play, but that's not always the case in real life.

As a teacher, I might never know what goes on at home for the various students. I have to care enough for the students individually to make the effort to push them in the classroom and hope for the best in each of them. Everyone has little secrets and struggles that go on beyond the classroom setting and I have to be aware and able to deal with that. I have to be there for the students whether they want me to or not and I must let them know I care.