McElligot's Pool
The story starts with a young boy named Marco fishing in McElligot's pool. An old farmer comes along and says, "Young man, you're sort of a fool! You'll never catch fish in McElligot's Pool. The pool is too small. And, you might as well know it, when people have junk, here's the place that they throw it.....If you sat fifty years with your worms and your wishes, you'd grow a long beard long before you'd catch fishes."
I have met that farmer many times over the years.
- My first teaching job was in an inner-city middle school with over 90% of its students living in poverty. I was told by an administrator, "We don't assign textbooks because they just lose them.... Don't bother giving homework, they won't do it.... Just try to keep the class under control and busy. If they finish one assignment, give another one." It seemed the philosophy was containment rather than engagement.
- Then there are those parents who have told me, "My child can't learn. He's lazy. He doesn't care."
- That student who says, "I can't do this. I'm in the low math group."
- And those people who say "That won't work here. Teachers won't do that. That will never fly."
Be like Marco and see past the pool. He replied to the farmer, "It may be you're right, I've been there three hours without one single bite. There might be no fish...But again, Well, there might! Cause you never can tell what goes on down below! This pool might be bigger than you or I know!...If I wait long enough, if I'm patient and cool, Who knows what I'll catch in McElligot's Pool!"
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