ABSTRACT
Ask most teachers why they went into education and you will invariably hear: I want to make a difference in the world. Many teachers express this commitment by staying late after school listening to the trials and tribulations of young people as they struggle to find meaning and negotiate identities. For some teachers this commitment takes the form of working in schools with poor children and youth under conditions of overcrowding and under-financing that would shock the general populace. Teachers also live out this commitment to make a difference in the world by spending long hours on weekends, nights, and summers creating unique and challenging curriculum materials designed to fully engage their students.
