Yeah, I know. I'm writing a lot these last few days. It helps me get
into my groove. I thank you for your indulgence. Anyway, I wasn't going to
write anymore until yesterday. In the waiting room at the dentist's office, I
ran into a young lady who had been in class about fifteen years ago. I
politely chit-chatted with her for a few minutes. Then, she blew me out of the
water: "I want to thank you for your loving heart. It let you to see me when
others didn't and wouldn't, and that included me. I've always remembered that
'Remember the Chair' and still look at those 'Words for the Day' you wrote on
the board each day. I still read almost every day your oath to us in the
syllabus. It's become my oath to everyone around me. I use the values you
taught me every day, those 'how I feel' word, the 'words for the day,' the
uplifting word cards, the list of good things at the end of the day,
everything. I use them at work and at home...When we were in class together,
when you helped me change my how I looked at myself, I bet you didn't know you
were also teaching my children to be. I didn't then. I do now....Only God
knows why you didn't weed me out. I believed I deserved to be as I always was;
you were the first who didn't, and I never let anyone do it after that. I
thank you; my customers thank you; my friends thank you; my family thanks you;
everyone I know thanks you. I'd never be where and who I am." With a tear in
my eye, all I could say was a soft "thank you." We hugged. In the car, I felt
a starting gun had gone off, and I furiously wrote down a horde of "one liners"
that raced through my heart and mid. I had gone to the dentist to get my teeth
cleaned and walked out with a refreshed soul. Here are three of the one-liners
I scribbled on some scrap paper:
• As we think about nurturing or weeding out a student, we should never
forget that we're also nurturing or weeding out her or his future sons and
daughters.
• A teacher with an unconditional loving heart has no blinders, and is
able--and willing--to see and hear some things and some ones where others
cannot--and will not.
• Pronouncements that "I care about students" is the lofty ideal.
Unconditional "caring" for each student in that classroom each day is the
down-to-earth real thing. Don't confuse the two.
I'm ready for Lilly.
Make it a good day
-Louis-
Louis Schmier
http://www.therandomthoughts.edublogs.org
203 E. Brookwood Pl http://www.therandomthoughts.com
Valdosta, Ga 31602
(C) 229-630-0821 /\ /\ /\ /\
/\
/^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__
/ \ / \
/ \/ \_ \/ / \/
/\/ / \ /\ \
//\/\/ /\ \__/__/_/\_\/
\_/__\ \
/\"If you want to climb
mountains,\ /\
_ / \ don't practice on mole
hills" - / \_
---
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