Special Assignment

Ok....I didn't get the metaphor. But, Dr. Strange has given many of us a chance to redeem ourselves. Thanks Dr. Strange. :)

Me going crazy. 

For starters, I missed the metaphor because I was thinking too literally. The video Are you an Educator or a Teacher? is what did me in. I was so stressed out about that video and trying to understand its message. (I get it now, by the way, thanks to Dr. Strange and Gina Phillips. Thanks!) Anyway, that video was part of the reason and I was headed towards a break in my mental and physical limit. I had many hospital visits the week after that. But, I am ok! So I was taking everything too seriously and simultaneously in self destruct mode. I definitely do not want a repeat of that experience. I also think that everyone else was going through a rough patch in the semester at that time. Maybe there was a trend?
What metaphors have I come into contact with this week? -Haha funny. Well there were many metaphors on Dr. Strange's post that I read; I still don't get the stork beak open and shut part though? I have also been reading my Bible at night and boy does Jesus love metaphors! When Jesus talks about eternal life he is not saying that you will not physically die, but that your spirit will live forever with God if you believe in Him. Another common metaphor that I hear in couple/breakup movies is "there are plenty of fish in the sea." Well I certainly hope so or else a lot of people would be hungry. Just kidding...but not really. It means that you will find somebody because there are so many people in this world it's almost impossible not to. One metaphor that I used a few weeks ago was "my head is killing me." I just had a headache, thank goodness.

So how would I educate my students about metaphors? Well here the waters get murky; I don't want to give too much away and upset some parents. I think I would do like Dr. Strange asked us to do this week. I would explain what a metaphor is and give a few examples maybe from a book or, ideally, a poem we are reading in class. I would then ask them to keep a log of what metaphors they have used, heard, or read. We would then have kind of like a show and tell. Only backwards. A tell-your metaphor-and show what it really means. We could make a game out of it too, like guess the metaphor meaning. I'm looking forward to this :)

Lastly, why do we use metaphors? Well if your five year old asks where did they come from, the conversation could get awkward quickly. Not to mention, it may be an overwhelming and much to mature idea for a youngster to deal with. (However, whatever you say please don't tell them they were in your tummy...that's just weird. You didn't eat them.) Metaphors also make things much easier to explain and make things comical and funny. They definitely help people flirt. They can also make things seem much darker. Basically, they have a way of materializing our thoughts and feelings to give them deep meaning. If you really think about it, metaphors are the paints and brushes for writers. Metaphors are one of the gears that makes not just our language, but all languages work.
I never really thought about how important they are. As a foreign language major, as well as an education major, I really see how key they are to all people from all cultures, in all religions, and in all tongues...Fascinating. :)