My daughter's hamster C.C. died suddenly a few weeks ago. For two years she had been Hannah's roommate, entertaining my daughter by running in her wheel, stuffing her cheeks with food, and generally doing wacky hamster stuff. And then one afternoon ---- dead.
After C.C.s little corpse found its way to the pet cemetery we have on the edge of the backyard and the mourning period ended, Hannah and I went to Petsmart and a new little buddy got picked. Little did we know we picked a hamster that just couldn't be tamed. For days this one recoiled in terror like some kind of hairly live-wire, whenever her cage door opened. She bit, squealed, hid, quivered, and tore up mountains of cardboard to use as camouflage. I was able to pick Luna up only once, and my success was met with a handful of hamster poop pellets and pee. My daughter reluctantly agreed to return this wildly, high strung hamster. She felt sorry for her.
Yesterday at Petsmart, we exchanged Luna for what turned out to be a tame, mild mannered Dalmatian hamster. This one seeks out human contact, and she'll look at us with interest, almost intelligence.
Just like poor Luna, I have known intensively nervous and hyper active students. Others are congenial and mellow. Alas, I can not return people to Petsmart, nor would I want to. Besides being unrealistic, that would be the easy way out. My challenge as a teacher is teach kids to simmer down, focus, do the work, and think.
Sorry, about your hamster,I really liked your connection. The chanllenge might seem hard but I know you have the potential to overcome it.
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