RSS 2.0 FeedMay 13, 2011, Weekly editorial
What is important to you?
Next Tuesday, we have school board elections and budget votes. The rhetoric has been heated, and the most important staff members in the district, who also pay taxes by the way, may be getting the idea that we don’t value their work. So, it might be a good idea to pause and think about those teachers that have made a difference in our lives.
Do you recall the name of your first teacher? Perhaps not. But you likely remember teachers who had a real passion for their subjects and shared it with you. Maybe they even inspired you in your choice of your life’s work.
You remember teachers who took a real interest in you as a person, and taught you a philosophy of life that helped you get through hard times and reach goals that may have seemed unattainable.
Why not take the time to thank those teachers now? A note would be treasured for sure, even if it is short.
One teacher I remember being especially inspirational was my middle school English teacher, Mrs. Johnson. Certain refrains still stick in my head: “You learn by doing.” (Dewey) and “This above all else to thine own self be true.” (Shakespeare)
She was also my debating coach and relentless in making us research our opponents’ arguments as thoroughly as our own. This is so important, so that we can not only reach a strong position but also one we can believe is best. Please take the time to listen to both sides in next week’s elections and budget votes, even if you have already made up your mind on how to vote. It can make all the difference.
