I must admit that I did not catch the full meaning of the metaphor in the blog. I was more concerned with the aspect of a teacher being told to manipulate test scores, rather than being concerned with the students' actual grasp of the knowledge. I guess I'm more of a tigger type, being focused on the solution and not paying much attention to the problem. I knew that the issue of children taking home pencils couldn't have been the real issue, but was more concerned with the concept of trying to manipulate tests to make themselves look good.
There are so many metaphors that we encounter in our everyday lives that one would be hard pressed to not hear or use one in a single day. Some that I have used this week with my kids are: "You are grounded FOREVER" and "If your friends jump off a bridge, are you gonna jump off a bridge". However, the one that I use the most is on my daughters; "You aren't allowed to date until you are thirty", that's not a metaphor, I'm serious. I also hear several from other people, like: "I have a ton of homework" or "I have worked my butt off today", and my personal favorite from my wife "I love you", but half the time I think she means it.
I think that best way to teach kids about metaphors is to start early in life, and make sure the kids understand the meaning behind the metaphors that we use. If educators take the time to explain what is meant in certain context, the use of metaphors is an amazing device to put more emphasis on important aspects of lessons.
The main reason that we use metaphors is to apply emphasis on the everyday monotony that comes from the common conversations that everyone in the world has to deal with. When someone uses a metaphor, it stands out in one's mind and makes this fact more of a focal point in the discussion. I think that metaphors are a major aspect of communications today.
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