How to Accept What You Cannot Change

In the first two acts of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, we meet several important players in the story, and learn of the complicated context which connects them all. Following the typical Shakespearean trope, we see that these characters are all connected in a very complicated chain of loving those who do not desire them. Duke Orsino is enamored with Olivia, who will not give in to his courtship, as she is too distraught from the loss of her brother. Viola, who has just been rescued from a shipwreck, although she is certain that her brother has not survived, has disguised herself as a man and entered the service of the Duke. When Viola, disguised as her male alter ego, Cesario, goes to woo Olivia on behalf of the Duke, Olivia once again detests the efforts of the Duke, but finds herself becoming more and more interested in ‘Cesario’. To complicate matters, while disguised as Cesario, Viola discovers that she is beginning to love Duke Orsino, and is upset that she has to help him woo another woman. Meanwhile, Viola’s brother, Sebastian, finds himself rescued, and mourns the loss of his sister, who he assumes perished in the shipwreck. Malvolio, a steward to Olivia, is in love with her, and has been fooled into believing she loves him too. Olivia’s uncle, Sir Toby Belch, is unhappy with Malvolio’s pursuit of his niece, and also displeased that Olivia has rejected a friend of his, Sir Andrew, whom he had intended to court her. Maria, one of Olivia’s ladies, is flustered at having to constantly deal with the antics of the drunken Sirs Toby and Andrew, as well as Malvolio. Each of these characters begins the story in a set of particularly undesirable circumstances, from death of a loved one, to tiresome peers, to loving someone unattainable. Although unpleasant, these realities are just that, realities, and our characters are forced to face them, accepting that they may not be able to change them.

            As I continue spending time at Tunbridge, I learn more and more about the teachers and students that I work with, and some of the circumstances that they face. In the 3^rd grade classroom I was placed in, several students, at least that I know of, face struggles that greatly affect their ability to learn alongside their classmates. One boy struggles with such a severe learning disability that he needs a one-on-one aid beside him in the classroom at all times, but the school is struggling to find an aid that works effectively to help him keep up during instruction. Working with this boy on days that he does not have an aid, as they are constantly switched out in search of one who can truly help him, I found that he is a bright boy with great potential, who just needs a lot of help processing information, but gets very frustrating when he is unable to perform at the level he knows he can reach, but not without the proper help. Another boy just lost his father, and in turn acts out in the classroom for attention. Other students in the class struggle with their home environments, not having parents who are able to help them with their work at night and communicate with the teacher about their children’s’ learning environment. A number of students in the class also suffer from less severe learning disabilities, as well as things like ADHD, and even mild Autism Spectrum Disorders, which affect their ability to learn and participate in classroom activities. The teachers I work with struggle with rigid school- and even state-wide curriculums with little room for differentiation, as well as limited resources both in terms of classroom supplies and school personnel; these factors greatly affect their ability to provide their students with the supports they need to succeed despite the other factors challenging them. Like the characters in Twelfth Night, there is little one can do to change the struggles that members of the Tunbridge community faces, and we must accept them; however, it is up to me as a volunteer serving this community to do what I can to help students and teachers make the most of these situations. Whether it is working in place of an aid with one student, or helping to calm down another student who is acting out because of his home life, or even just reading to the class while their teacher works one on one with a smaller group of struggling students, I am extremely happy to be able to work with these students and make even the smallest difference in their navigation of intimidating or difficult circumstances.