Summary
Analysis
Ari asks Mom if she does icebreakers with her students. She says she does and that she likes to get to know them. She insists that students are people and are interesting. Ari says that students are difficult, and Mom says that’s part of the charm. Ari knows she’s being ironic.
As a teacher, Mom understands that intellectual pursuits and emotions are, in the best cases, linked. She likely seeks to teach her students to be kind and curious, just as she’d like Ari to be.