Blog Post 8

While readings Ayers' chapter 7, I really involved myself with his topic of many of the things that teachers should know in order to be successful.  Some of these were self-criticism, finding allies, authentic friendship, and balance and clarity.  The one that really stuck out to me though was the Authentic Friendship section which is the single most important thing to understanding their students completely.  Teachers have a hard time finding a good medium between being sociable with students and then being able to be a mentor and guide students as well.  Everyone wants to be that favorite teacher that no ones likes, but sometimes that can be taken to far and you could not only lose control of your students because of your reputation, but your colleagues as well. All of these, in a way, correspond with one another because having allies in the teaching profession can lead to balance and more clarity in what should be done, but not without a little criticism on the way.  It all just depends on how you can handle the criticism and how you put it to the best use possible.  Being able to balance all the challenges that come along with being a teacher is not only going to make someone a more likable person, but a better person as well.