Everyone told me the first year of teaching would be difficult and I experienced many difficulties and many triumphs and delights as I taught and did my best to help 220+ eighth graders. I love them and would of course require work, thought, time, and participation in class. Writing paragraphs, analyzing sources, reading were little things we did daily in my classroom. While many students jumped right in, there were also a good handfull that would respond, 'ah, that is so hard though!' Initially, that response made me laugh and I would make little jokes back. Then, as I heard that response daily... multiple times a day, I realized how much they, me, we, use this excuse to avoid trying or giving effort and deprive ourselves of wonderful experiences in the process. With many thoughts on this topic, I will share a series of my thoughts as I continue to learn how to overcome the ...