So...this past weekend, one of the people I used to teach with out at Allen County, Tom, picked up a Master's degree (again). Tom used to teach Psychology and coach the track programs before going over to the Dark Side (college administration).
When he got his degree, he put a picture up on Facebook and mentioned one of the motivations he had--a teacher from high school. Now, before you start thinking, "Awwww...", this "teacher" had told Tom before he graduated high school that Tom couldn't cut it, wouldn't ever amount to anything.
So let me ask a rhetorical question here: WHAT THE HELL SORT OF TEACHER IS THAT???
For the record, Tom (who wasn't going to amount to much) now has a couple advanced degrees, an award for teaching, an award for administrating (I'll avoid my usual admin-type comment here), had a track scholarship, emphasized the STUDENT part of student-athlete, and then somehow found a nice woman to marry him and have some kids with him (seriously, that last part is not made up--Tom's pictures are not photoshopped).
It's been several years, but now reading that Facebook post, I realize why he was the way he was as a teacher--why he was positive when dealing with students, even the ones who didn't get it and really struggled.
It made me wonder--do all good teachers have that negative role-model in their past?
I know I had a couple. I still keep the journal comments written to me by an English teacher (there's a pause here while I go get them so I may quote...): "Jim, I don't know what happened, but you are a completely negative, disappointing person. I had high hopes for you, but I am disappointed to see how wrong I was, that you will not amount to anything in life."
Now, you could make the argument that "Hey, she's just trying to motivate you"--fair enough. Let's assume that's true (for her or Tom's former teacher). That doesn't change the horrid method. Why would you take a teenager and break them down or insult them? In that situation--you're the teacher. Your job is to work to get through to a kid, maybe empathize with them because whether it's 1985 or 2014, it is not easy being 16 years old.
But do those words look motivating or inspiring? As a parent, teacher, and coach, I avoid the D-word (disappointed) as much as possible. I think I've used it twice with my children in the past three years, and maybe four times with my athletes. It's a powerful word--and it almost always hurts feelings. Adults know that, so why, as a teacher, use it?
I'd rather focus on the positive--whether in the classroom or not.
*Long ago, I got banned from my high school's campus, not allowed to sit there while my friends and/or former classmates graduated. The principal, Fat Man, said I would 'disrespect authority'...whatever that means. After that, two teachers went to him and said that if he held to that, they'd be done teaching. Think about that...two teachers standing up for a former student, not even a current one, and both willing to put their jobs on the line for it. Those were Mrs. Strohm and Mr. Valus. It's been 29 years and I've never forgotten that.
*Go back further, and I remember Mrs. Loula, my 6th grade teacher, working things out so that me and Steve Pedersen could take math separately with the 7th grade. At the time I didn't think anything about that...I mean, you're 11-12 years old, right? Ahh--but I've taught now. Having a couple kids leave for a different class at a certain hour disrupts your whole schedule--because if we are leaving during Reading for Math--then you've got to do a Prep so that we can do Reading while everyone else is doing Math. There aren't a ton of teachers out there willing to take that extra extra step just for two students.
*Todd Francis--teaches Chemistry, even during the summer, but then donates his time to coach ACCC's Scholar Bowl team, as well as work as an assistant for the volleyball team. That's a lot of time and effort--especially since he doesn't HAVE to do any of that extra work. Todd would say he does it for the money...but that's because he's a crusty old fart with a crappy golf game. The reality is that inside--he cares a ton about his students.
*Richard Kottman--everybody other than me, Dave Pieart, and Chris Libby despised Kottman, and Kottman relished that. I got the worst grade ever in a History class with him, and I learned more there than in any other class in college. I learned that teachers SHOULD push students, should maintain the highest standards for what constitutes an "A", and that we shouldn't compromise those values under any circumstances.
In the end, I keep that journal for specific motivation--that when I teach, when I coach, I will never ever EVER be like that with a young person, not even when those young people try and cause trouble or are failing at life--because I need to be there to help them, to offer a hand. Otherwise, I'd much rather focus on the good teaching I see. Most teachers, most principals, are good people and are in education to help make this world a better place. That's the truth.
Who are your role-models? Who motivated you? Why? I'm actually interested to read what people say--please share!
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