4.1) At the beginning of chapter 4, Carol includes a discussion between Charlie and his teacher, from a book called The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I’ve read the book, and it’s gut wrenching, edgy, and sometimes over the top – definitely meant for mature audiences who are not especially sensitive to harsh language and difficult lifestyles. But… this discussion moves me every time I read it. Have you ever had this type of a discussion with a teacher? Please tell me about it. My senior year I was heavily involved in woodshop. I had decided to build a grandfather clock, and my teacher helped me get all of the necessary clock parts to get started at the end of my Junior year. I struggled my entire senior year building my clock and my teacher expected a lot out of me because of the project that I had chosen. Every year BYU holds a vocational fair in May. I missed the fair because my project was not finished. Instead of giving up on the year, I was able to work in the shop until midnight on the last night of shop to get the clock done. When my high school held their own craft fair, my clock was finished and shown at the entrance. I will never forget my teacher coming up to me and my dad and saying, "I wish I had gotten your clock in the BYU fair it would have taken first place, you have a gift". I was beaming, and I think that a great deal of my confidence with woodworking comes from my teacher.

5.2) Tell me, in your own words, what Carol teaches us in the right-hand column of page 58, about curriculum that is important. Have you ever had to endure curriculum that was not “important” in the way she describes? Explain the circumstances and how you felt (without names, please). Again in my senior year, I had a business class, and the only thing I remember about that class was the worksheets. Worksheet after worksheet I worked as hard as I needed to and turned my brain off. The teacher was nice and got along with the class, but worksheets were all she did. I cant remember a single thing in that classroom, except I got to talk a lot to my friends, and I almost didn't graduate because I got a "D". I was nowhere near invested in that class.One day I got so fed up with all of those worksheets, and I wrote on one of them, that I was tired of all of the busywork. I turned chicken and erased it, but I always wish I would have just left in on. The only end in sight for that class was the end of the school year. I have no recollection of the use of that class I think that is why I can't stand using worksheets just to use them. You cover the core on paper but what have you taught? I also liked the author's phrase on page 60 "A mile wide and an inch deep".