Who was it who once said that myth and legend are the stuff of stories needing to be told?  That they serve as a reminder, awakening our collective consciousness to the reality of our state of being.  And in dreams we sometimes can see the essence of a true heart.  A dream where the teacher lives in a kingdom and the master of omnipotent design covets her every capacity.  As she remains locked up and encapsulated, showing promise under duress, and wielding impossibilities by turning the straw she is given into gold.  And only in the deep, folded recesses of her heart where the myth escapes, are we all reminded of the value of this seemingly insurmountable dream.  
     And why should we question the little man who hides behind so many false names, who dares us not to speak of his authenticity and expects us to trust his intent.  When the truth presents itself through knowledge that can’t be bottled, sculpted or assessed.   Like the secret origins of life, our students will carry it safely, with hope, into their lives.  Because in each of those immaculate moments, conceived through a teacher’s dedication and love, something happens.  And albeit incremental and slight, it holds within it the magic of potential in every soul it wraps itself around.  
     And that little man, dancing by the fire, singing his own praises, is a broken system threatening to steal away our children’s hopes and futures.  He continues to dance in the face of every spontaneous and magical moment that leads to authentic learning.  And in his audacity he enslaves every administrator who continues to ask the world of their teachers.  But in the wake of this fire, knowledge is burning brighter, as we, the student and the teacher slowly come to realize the power and the strength of our resolve.
     For what is not known or understood is that back in the little room where the magic all happens, these strands of gold are weaving themselves.  Weaving around the true notion that he holds no power over that sacred space where creativity, innovation and evolution happens.  And out beyond the dream where the archetypes rest, lies the reality of who “The Teacher” is.  Knowing that the crucible of effectiveness will never be harnessed by a standardized test or an inaccurate notion of achievement, but only through the strands of gold woven by the child and their teacher, cultivating the potential for each of them and offering the possibility of a brighter future.