ABSTRACT
Almost 10 years ago, Seymour Sarason presented at AERA at a celebration of his years of work studying, supporting, and venturing into educational change. He began his presentation with a discussion of views of change and then told a story about a friend of his who was renting a room in the old city of Jerusalem. Each day, as Sarason’s friend labored on a manuscript, the friend would pause and look out the window that faced the wall at which many Jews came to pray. He saw an old man praying every morning, afternoon, and evening; the old man faced the wall and prayed and prayed for hours. After weeks of observing, Sarason’s friend left his manuscript and approached the man as he completed his prayers one evening.
