Juggling Elephants

Throughout the summer, I will be reflecting on the book Juggling Elephants by Jones Loflin and Todd Musig. This book is being read with my cooperative teacher Mr. Hines. I will be student teaching in the spring of 2018 with Mr. Hines at West Perry High School. This collaborative reading experience will help us engage in literacy, reflection, and communication with each other. This week we read one-third of the book.

In the first forty-three pages we met the main character, named Mark. Mark is like many of us, he has too much to do. He is trying to stay sane while balancing his many responsibilities. In his hectic life, he still finds time to take his daughter Jackie to the circus for the day. However, the first half of the circus Mark is occupied taking phones and taking care of business rather than enjoying time with his daughter. When Mark arrived back to his seat his daughter, ask him “What do you like best about the circus Daddy?” Mark responded with “I don’t know, the tigers, I guess.” His daughter frowned in his response because “Daddy, I did not see any tigers in the circus.”

We then met the ringmaster of the circus named Victor who ends up saving Mark. He explains, “The result of juggling elephants is that no one, including you, is thrilled with the performance.” Mark and Victor start reflecting on their lives. Mark feels like his life is a three-ring circus. Victor knows “A ringmaster cannot be in all three rings at once. However, “The ringmaster has the greatest impact on the success of the circus.”

Mr. Hines and I discussed that we both feel our lives can be a three-ring circus at times. I feel my life can be a three-ring circus as I juggle school, community activities, and work. Mr. Hines life can be a three-ring circus as he juggles FFA events, lesson plans, student SAE visits, classroom instruction, and being a husband.  The life of an Agriculture educator is like a circus, but as a teacher, you are the ringmaster to this hectic life and that is something to remember.