"In fat I tried to write many things, but my mind was so boggled by the circumstances of the students and my own life was so uncertain and without direction that I found myself writing mawkish doggeral and prose of an extraordinary purplish tinge".
I took this sentence to be that Pat Conroy seemingly cared a great deal about the conditions of his students. He was not all about just teaching but, he cared about the students in general. He shows here that he can not even write, something he likes to do, becasue he is constantly thinking about his students and things going on in his life. The conditions and circumstances of his students are horrific but they seem to really enjoy going to school just to hear what Conroy is going to do or say next. Without even really trying he is teaching these students the best he knows how. Even though it frustrates him so much that they really do not know anything in general or even the basics; he still tries to help them regardless. I do not know many teachers that care that much about their students that it entails every aspect of their lives. When I read that sentence I had to reread it because it shocked me to read that he cared so much for these students and their daily lives. As teachers we come to be close to our students just from teaching them on a daily basis. It is hard not to get involved in some part of the students lives. In some ways though we have to get to know our students on some type of personal yet professional level to help with their learning. I am concerned about my getting involved with my students lives because not all parents are going to be willing to get on a partial personal level with the teacher. Maybe I'm wrong I do not know but sometimes in order to know the child you must get some insight into their homelife and family.