We all know the value of school. Education is a major institution in our culture, and around the world. Long ago schools used to be the hub of the community. In smaller cities, that is still often the case, where alumni attend the sports events, and multiple generations attend the same elementary, middle and high schools.
So most schools are back in session, now. Seems early doesn’t it? The school year was originally designed around agriculture. Kids were off for the summer so that they would be available to work at their family’s farm. After Labor Day, or even later into September, kids returned to school, because their work at the farm was completed.
Now, since not very many kids are working on the farm anymore, we have balanced calendars which stretch the school year out, but allow for more frequent and lengthier breaks. Summer break is shorter, but fall break, spring break and Holiday breaks are significantly longer.
I don’t know about you, but I loved school. I loved everything about it. I had some incredible teachers throughout my public school education, who inspired me and prepared me for the rest of my life.
Brad Henry wrote: “A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.” — Brad Henry
That is a perfect description of the teachers I was fortunate enough to have in the fifties and sixties in Akron, Ohio. It is no surprise that I ended up becoming an educator, because I wanted to do the same thing for students.
For many of us, one special teacher made the difference for us. That teacher modeled grace and compassion. That teacher went the extra mile for us. That teacher surprised us with a life lesson that we never forgot.
An older man is approached by a younger man who asks: “do you remember me?”
The older man replies:”What do you do in life?”
The young man answered: “Well, I became a teacher.”
“Ah, how good. Like me.”
“Yes, in fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you,” said the young man.
The older teacher was curious. “When did you decide to become a teacher?”
And the young man told him this story.
“One day, a friend of mind, also a student, came to school with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it. I stole it. I took it out of his pocket.
Shortly after, my friend noticed that his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you.
Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student’s watch was stolen during classes today. Whoever stole it, please return it.
I didn’t give it back because I didn’t want to. You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle. You asked us to all close our eyes. You told us you were going to go around the circle to each one of us and ask us to empty our pockets into your hands.
We did as we were instructed. You went from person to person, and when you got in front of me, I handed you the watch. You continued to move to each person and when you were done, you said, ‘open your eyes. We have the watch.’
You didn’t tell on me and you never mentioned the episode again. You didn’t say who stole the watch. That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.
But this is also the day I decided not to become a thief or a bad person. You didn't scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson.
I received your message clearly. Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.
Do you remember this episode, professor? The older teacher answered, ‘yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, but I didn’t remember that it was you, because while I was moving from person to person around the circle, I also had my eyes closed.
Successful author, Clint Smith recently posted this on his FB page:
“I’ve said this before, but one of the only reasons I’m a writer is because I had a teacher in 3rd grade who looked at my poem about clouds & said ‘you can be a writer when you grow up.’ It stayed with me forever. Teachers, don’t underestimate what your words can do for your students.”
Lots of us didn’t go back to school this season — we aren’t enrolled in any classes, we aren’t teaching any longer, and we aren’t involved in schools in any way, but we still have things to learn. You’ve heard the phrase, “Never stop learning.”
Learning doesn’t just happen in school. We all know this. Learning is an activity that is necessary for all of us to able to adapt to our life circumstances. Life itself teaches us. Things happen, and we have to respond. How we respond is in our control, so we should never stop learning. Some of the lessons we learn over time aren’t lessons we would choose to learn. We have to adapt all the time — we have to adjust to our ever-changing circumstances.
Life gives us lessons from sacrifice to compromise. No matter how old we are, we need to be open to learning new things. We learn about ourselves, as we learn about others — if we have an open mind. Probably one of the worst attitudes we can have is to believe that we know everything and no longer need to learn anything. Becoming a life-long learner aids our self-growth and is the key to living a fulfilling life. There are always new skills for us to learn. When we actively seek to learn new things, the quality of our lives is increased in two specific areas.
The first is that learning actually makes us happier. Now we might be frustrated at first, when we try to learn something. But after we have accomplished our goal of learning the new skill, we become elated. When we decide our own goals, our happiness is not reliant on others. We pick how many hours we are going to invest. We have personal control over the learning process.
Secondly, when we are looking to learn as much as possible, there’s less of a chance that we will come off as arrogant. The end result is that we become more humble as we learn. We become more compassionate and understanding as we grow.
Learning also keeps us feeling younger. Henry Ford wrote:
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”
We may not have formally participated in the back to school experience, my friends, but we are always learning. We have all been students — in school, and in life. We have also all been teachers — in life. Our behavior and words have taught others how to act, how to respond, how to handle difficulties. We have all parented and taught many children — our own, and those who belong to other parents.
When I wonder whether or not the lessons I have tried to pass on to others made a difference, I recall this familiar Bible passage: “Develop a child to its full potential, and that training will last a lifetime.” — Proverbs 22:6 (The Inclusive Bible)
We are always teaching and learning, my friends. Let’s not forget that. Amen.
George Whitman, owner of a Paris bookstore, once wrote:
“All the world is my school, and all humanity is my teacher.” — George Whitman
May we all be encouraged by what we know, and what school and life have taught us.
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