ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the personal ethos of Ty Fletcher, a teacher in William Mastrosimone’s play Tamer of Horses, as he tries to “educate” Hector, a troubled young man who enters his personal life. Using Ty as a lens, the chapter considers the lengths to which teachers will go to reach students in trouble, the challenges teachers face from influences beyond their control and the role teachers play in the social fabric. Buoyed by a philosophy that all students can make forward strides, Ty’s work with Hector reaffirms his teacher’s ethos that no student is beyond help while calling into question whether every student can be helped.
