When Alexis Wiggins returned to full-time teaching after having a baby, she took with her an idea from the book "A Path With Heart" by Buddhist Jack Kornfield. The idea was that each day might go better if she viewed everyone she encountered during that day, including any student or parent who seemed to make her teaching life harder, as her personal "Buddha" giving her an opportunity for growth. Wiggins shares the story of how she learned to be welcoming to an abrasive, argumentative student--and to keep him from dominating discussions and souring the atmosphere of her high school class. "Jack" gave Wiggins the chance to push past her limits in dealing with difficult students--and to make her class more inclusive of different personality styles that conflicted with her usual teaching methods.