I honestly am not very sure why I did not grasp this metaphor. I do not think it was a very obvious metaphor. I guess, had I been thinking about the context of this class while reading it, it may have been much more obvious to me. I was just reading the article and taking it as it came across though.
I have never before had a problem understanding metaphors. After being given this assignment I was much more aware of all of the metaphors I heard on a daily basis. One I commonly heard is "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." One I have realized I use quite often is "give me a ballpark." I am constantly saying this in reference to needing a time frame for something. One I have heard quite often lately, with the end of the semester being so near, is "burning the candle at both ends" There were others I heard since recieving this assignment, but this were the most common.
I think that it is important for us to make sure that our students understand what we mean when we are using metaphors. I don't think this is something that can really be taught fully in a lesson setting. It is something that is being continuously learned. If you have never heard a specific metaphor before it will take more time to understand. I think that, as educators, it is important that when using metaphors we ask afterwards, "What do I mean by that?" If students do not know what you are trying to get across to them it is necessary to explain this in detail.
I think there are many reasons to use metaphors. One reason is to say something that may not always be appropriate in a more appropriate way. For example, although it is still not nice, it is nicer to say "not the brightest crayon in the box," than to say some one is dumb. Another reason is to add depth to our conversations. This adds an interesting level to conversations.
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