"We're changing the world by changing education!" (241)

I'm not sure what to say as I come to the end of Teach With Your Heart. I feel like the criticism I have already expressed still applies and sums up my overall feelings on this section. I'm glad that Erin didn't win the election because I didn't feel like she was qualified for the position. Yes, she has excellent real-world experience, but she sells her soul. I honestly think that much of that is the result of being a sort of people-pleaser, but I think it also comes from a place of caring. She seems like a good woman but misguided in the art of taking care of herself, too. She got swept up in the hustle and bustle of doing good, and forgot about the other things around her. I've seen this happen to people in my own life and I think it is a learning experience that Erin needed at the time. She did some wonderful things for those students, but it did come with a price.

Erin's journey reminds me of a quote by Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." I think, if we're really looking for a moral to this story, this may well be the answer. Erin did amazing things and not without great help from those around her. Her team pulled together and changed the lives of these children. That, in some small sense, changed the world. The simple act of doing good is worth a lot and if we could all take initiative and be part of something, we can create lasting change for generations to follow.