This is American Education Week. It is a time to focus on those who play important roles in education. Were one to go to this page at the NEA website, one would see that there are many who play roles, including support personnel and substitutes, parents as well as teachers. This week we honor all.
For me, especially after a weekend in which I was able to refocus myself on what is important for me, I find that I am in a very thankful mood, albeit 9 days before our officially celebration of thanks-giving..
This morning I wish to offer thanks to many who have made my journey as a teacher possible. Some are those who are included in the recognitions of this week.
Some are people I have never met, but their words have inspired me.
Some are people known here.
I am honored to share my thanks with those who choose to read my words.
Those I mention serve as representatives for the many hundreds I could and probably should mention.
Now let me begin my thanks.
Thanks to those of my teachers who taught me about caring for every student, no matter how difficult. To Jimmy Block, the piano teacher who bore with me and praised my playing of Bach. To Thomas Rock who challenged me to live up to my potential, then entrusted me with teaching his students when he was away. To John Davison who lived a life of loving every student who entered his classroom at Haverford and found something to praise in the attempts at composition of every student in the class.
Thanks to those whose writing about teaching, teachers, students, education and more have helped shaped my own journey as a teacher. To Jonathan Kozol whose many books have spanned the range from exposing the worst of our schools to offering hope in the direst of situations. To Howard Gardner who taught me different ways of thinking about how one learns. To Ted Sizer who helped me understand that schools did not have to be structured the way they were and still are. To Jerry Bracey who helped me understand how to interpret educational data. To Linda Darling-Hammond, whose tale about a Florida Teacher of the Year with integrity encouraged me to think about teaching in new ways. Most of all to Parker Palmer who helped me understand that teaching is relationship, and that the teacher must always be vulnerable to his students - unless we are willing to let them break our hearts we may not be able to reach theirs.
To some writers about other subjects whose work so overlaps my understanding about teaching. To Henri Nouwen, good friend of Parker Palmer, who taught me the true meaning of humility as a necessary preparation for service. To Thomas Merton whose many books on many subjects helped me to understand how interconnected so much of our lives and world are, and how we should not pretend otherwise in any of our activity. To C. S. Lewis who taught me that the search for meaning in one's life might well required a heart that would shatter over and over, without ever being broken. To Alexander Schmemann, who taught me that even within strong religious traditions it was possible to find room for th uniqueness of each individual. To John Woolman whose writing and life challenged me to rethink what I took for granted.
To the parents who have entrusted me with their offspring. I think of three families where I have taught 3 siblings - Miles, Felter, and Cook. I think of families whose own beliefs were very different than my own but thanked me for opening possibilities for their children, like the McGuffeys. For the many parents whom I will not identify who have worked with me to help their children grow in self-confidence and skill. To Vijay, who insisted that he be allowed to nominate me for an award I never thought I would receive.
To the administrators who have hired me, supported me, corrected me when I was heading in a wrong direction without crushing me, who allowed me my head recognizing that I did not fit an ordinary mold. First and foremost to Doc, my first principal at the middle school in which I started my public school teaching. Even earlier to Grace, who enabled me to explore teaching many years ago at Moorestown Friends School, an experience that eventually two decades later led to my leaving other work for life as a teacher. To Legaunt, and Sly, And Reggie, and all the others.
To my fellow teachers from whom I have learned, from whom I have received encouragement. In other schools people like Ed DeBaun and Mike Rinis and Melissa Luroe Shindell. To the many who accepted and encouraged me in my one year in Williamsburg Middle in Arlington. To my compatriots present and past at Eleanor Roosevelt - Sharon Walter, Anne Cherry, Joan Magin, Rick Renyer, Coit Hendley, Terry Linn, and so many more.
To those who taught me formally about education and related subjects. To Linda Poole and Tony Ungaretti and others in my MAT program at Hopkins. To Vernon Polite and Mimi Schuttloffel and others in my doctoral program at Catholic.
To the many support people at my school, without whom my job might be impossible. To now retired Joe Jones, the security guard with whom I worked so closely to help some of our more troubled kids. To our police officers, Dave, Marty and John, who have often helped me turn around kids heading for trouble. To the ladies in the cafeteria, the folks who clean our building.
To the students. There have now been several thousand of you. I regret I cannot recall every name, although there are hundreds upon hundreds whose names come to mind as I think about how they have challenged me, inspired me, provoked me, supported me, and even occasionally thanked me. To Mark, whose thank you letter is still among my most treasured possessions. To Lauren, now at one of the most prestigious professional schools in the nation, whom I was ready to let teach my class after 2 weeks, who never strayed from attempting to get all she could from the education opportunities in my class. To Nick, now himself a teacher. To Heather, who first taught by taking over her own class for a day, and who now has her own classroom. To L___ who entrusted me with her shattered soul at a very difficult time in her life. To Jes, who fought me tooth and nail on everything then came back to me to thank me for not giving up, and for insisting that he do the right thing. To Shamika and Cory, short and tall, whose exchange in my class about the Pledge of Allegiance remains one of the most memorable occurrences in any of my classes. To so many of you, whose presence in my room has so enriched my life, whose minds have sometimes challenged mine - many of you really are brighter than I am. To the many who showed caring for others who were struggling, modeling that learning is most often something that happens in community or at least in relationship.
To those who have encouraged my writing, about education and other subjects. To Jay Mathews of the Washington Post, who told me that I had a gift of explaining education to non-professionals. To Peter Catapano of the New York Times who gave me an opportunity to blog for them. To John Norton of the Teacher Leaders Network who has encouraged me to keep writing for a variety of venues. To the many here at Daily Kos who thank me for my words, who challenge me to think more deeply, who read what i have written and offer comments in return. Especially to Tim, Meteor Blades, who when I was still a newbie here saw something in my writing, as tortured as it was, and encouraged me to keep at it at a time when I was considering giving it up.
Most of all to my wife, Leaves on the Current. It was a conversation with her in 1992 that started me on the path of leaving my career in data processing and becoming a teacher. She encourages my risk-taking. She reminds me when I am down of what good I am doing. She gives me the space and time I need to be able to teach effectively. Most of all, she demonstrates in her life what every teacher needs to demonstrate in his - the importance of love in all human relations, love that supports, love that gives freedom, love that empowers.
I am still learning what it means to be a teacher. I suspect I will continue to learn as long as I teach. I suspect that I will teach as long as I am able to be effective. I will be 65 in May. I will, God willing, still be teaching when I am 70.
I am lucky. I am honored. I am a teacher.
Peace.