From them, I discovered seeds that had unknowingly found fertile soil
and thrived. Seeds that had sprouted, had become deeply rooted, and had
bloomed far beyond the confines of the classroom walls, the end of the term,
and the completion of the college experience into the distant working and
living realms. Seeds that would slip under the radar of any traditional,
subject oriented classroom assessment instrument on learning. Seeds that moved
me to tears time and time again as I found out that the character values that
had come from my soul had found their way to the hearts and actions of others
throughout their personal, professions, and family lives; values that had
touched these people and altered the direction of their lives, values that had
created an inspired and passionate vitality, values which had actually changed
the world and altered the future. I felt a profound feeling of deep
accomplishment, meaning, and purpose. And, I’ll leave it at that.
Well, actually I won’t. I won’t because even though I am no longer in
the classroom, contrary to what some think, my experiences, said through the
students, can teach a lot to those who wish to learn. I won’t because I
hearing Misty Copland, I could have sworn she had read my “Teacher’s Oath” and
been my classes. She talked about the need for a conscious daily renewal of
passion in order to stay away from the rut of dulling routine, of the need for
what I call “the three ‘-tudes” of attitude and aptitude and fortitude, of
having hard and demanding fun at whatever we’re doing. I won’t because these
past students represent a need to comprehend, understand, and empathize with
each student, each of whom comes into class walking on a different road. I
won’t because most of us reveal an ignorance of the latest research on brain
development when we proclaim “They are adults” as if these college kids had
suddenly metamorphosed from being quirky juveniles in high school to being
rational adults in college two months later. I won’t because these students,
and goodness knows how many unknown others, demonstrate that while you cannot
motivate people, you can inspire them to reach for their stars; that you can
help students help themselves to break out of their confining prisons with your
heart; that you can help them circumvent constricting boundaries with your
spirit; and, that you can see hidden realities with soulful eyes; that you can
be that person who can help each student help her/himself strive to become the
person he or she can become.
As they talked to me, their words struck my heart like bolts of
lightning and reverberated through my soul like claps of thunder: “It had
everything to do with life, not just this class, and how I was going to use it
and live it”…. “ You were a challenge to take a risk and make mistakes….” “It
wasn’t just a history class, it was a class in the human experience, my human
experience…” “We replaced the word ’stranger’ with ‘friend’ and ‘family’ so we
would risk doing stuff we wouldn’t have done otherwise…” “That class was full
of such support and encouragement I never felt in another class.” “The class
was good for my soul, and made me a better person and prepared me to be a
better businessman, parent, and husband.” “You could touch the energy in that
class. It was challenging and light hearted, demanding and easy-going, serious
and smiling and laughing all at the same time because we were friends and
family. And, I never let it slip away in anything I did.” “It was so much fun
learning, serious fun, that it all seemed so ‘easy’…” “There was so much love
and trust in that class room….taught me a lesson about life inside and outside
my profession.” “I found confidence and self-esteem in that class.” “I could
make a mistake and learn from it instead of being crucified for committing it.
So, I took chances and learned a lot about who I was and what I am capable of
doing, most of which I diddn’t know before I came into your class.” “That
class helped me see that a challenge was a possibility and opportunity, not a
barrier.” “The class was just plain magic.” And, on and on and on it went.
These students are the visible embodied result of living my “Teacher’s
Oath” in and out of the classroom. They told me that I was right to see that
while technology and pedagogy were important, we shouldn’t focus on them to the
exclusion of focusing on the humanity of the individual and unique student;
they told me that the classroom is a human world, not an information
transmitting and receiving station; they told me that faith, hope, and love are
antidotes to toxic dehumanizing perceptions and expectations generated by
herding stereotypes and generalities and labels of students that poisoned every
well; they told me that faith, hope, and love lift and ennoble each moment;
they told me that faith, hope, and love forge a safe haven with unconditional
and non-judgmental respect, kindness, caring, empathy, compassion, support, and
encouragement.
I’ll end this reflection with portions of two messages I recently
received from two of those students. One was in classroom nineteen years ago
and is now special education teacher: “I want you to know you were my unspoken
mentor. After reading over and over and over your ‘Teacher’s Oath’ that you
just sent me, once again, I know why. I alway felt you were teaching to me,
that your caring eyes were always on me. You noticed and cared about me, and
were kind and patient with me, in class like no one else had done because of
my ADHD. Saying it wasn’t enough for you or me. You always had time for me.
You always read word for word what I wrote in my journal. You always acted in
that way, especially through your active loving support and encouragement. I
learned to trust you enough to pour out my heart and get things out into the
open air through my journal entries. You were always showing you loved me, had
faith in me, and had hope for me, and I should start having confidence and
believing myself. I remember you writing the ‘Words For The Day” on the
blackboard that said 'Everyone has “dis-ability” and “dat-ability,” and don’t
believe otherwise.’ I have been reading those words every day in the morning
since. That became and still is my motto in life. It is the core of my
teaching and living.” The second student, who was in class twenty-four years
ago, wrote: “That trust fall and the singing in front of people—I sang the
Flintstones theme—and the hands on projects using the class material in the
triads all started teaching me a lot about myself, about trusting myself and
others, and about respecting myself and others. They gave me such a confidence
build up that I truly needed and helped me start overcoming my fear-based
shyness. You made a heck of a difference in my life, how much I didn’t realize
at the time. I’m still ‘taking’ trust falls and ’singing’ in front of people,
in a manner of speaking. You taught me that learning, real learning, goes on
and on beyond the classroom and college into myself. And now, I see to it that
it goes into all around me. Every now and then you pop into my mind and what
you once called ’the three -tudes in life’: attitude, aptitude, and
fortitude,’ and that the most important is ‘attitude.’ I haven’t thought about
them in a while, but after seeing and talking with your. I see they’re still
always there inside and with me. I realize I never really forgot them and am
always using them, and helping my co-workers and, above all, my children to use
them.…”
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