Miss Narwin writes to Dr. Doane, Principal of Harrison High School, enclosing her application to the State Education Office for a summer grant-in-aid. She is hoping to attend a summer program at the State University entitled "New Approaches to the Teaching of Literature for Today's Students."

Miss Narwin's main motivation for attending this course appears to be that she feels the need to acquaint herself with new ideas. As she states in her application letter to Dr. Doane, she's been teaching English Literature for a very long time but now feels that she needs new ideas, new strategies, and new concepts to keep her teaching vital. Miss Narwin clearly feels that, without these new ideas, she might get a little rusty. And for a dedicated professional like her, that would be unacceptable.

Miss Narwin goes on to confess that she sometimes feels that she's a little out of touch with contemporary teaching. Even more seriously, she feels out of touch with her students. Miss Narwin has a deep passion for literature, but she senses that that's no longer enough. She needs to try a new approach, one that will make her a more effective teacher and her students better able to understand this rewarding subject. Hence her application to attend the summer program.