I went through several emotions when I saw that a former student of mine found my blog and commented. I was mostly just thrilled to hear from her! But a little part of me thought, "oh crap, she'll see that I'm human with faults, flaws, insecurities and all!" Oh no! Then I realized that I hoped that I taught her and the other students that all of us are just people. Just because I was the teacher doesn't mean that I'm perfect, problem-free, or without flaws. Far from it! But in case it snowed that day or I forgot to teach that lesson, I'll give it a whirl here.

I've been a "suit" in the office this past year so I may be a little rusty. Let me roll up my sleeves, grab my marker, find the board, clear my throat, and give it a try. Ready class?

I can remember seeing an elementary school teacher of mine in a grocery store. She was holding hands with her husband and perusing the aisles. I was shocked. She's a teacher. Whats she doing here? Shouldn't she be doing bulletin boards or something? Who is that guy with her? You mean she doesn't live behind that desk?

Class, sometimes people expect too much and yet not enough out of the teachers in the classroom. They often expect the wrong things altogether.

I always thought I owed certain things to my students. I owed them a well-planned and prepared lesson. I owed them an ear to listen. I owed them my best effort. I owed them the benefits of my knowledge. I owed them an honest assessment of their progress. I owed them a professional teacher who taught his heart out every single day. Every parent and student should expect these things out of their teacher.

I stood in front of my classes a couple of days after my wife told me she wanted a divorce. My heart was broken, my mind going in a million different directions. I didn't know what the future held. I did my best to teach that day and the days that followed. I walked in that building and tried to shove all those emotions over to the side. It wasn't their fault. They needed me to be me, the guy that stood in front of that class all year.

I don't know how successful I was that day. I could feel those emotions so close to the surface. I thought I had it under control. But some of the kids noticed. They always do. They are so perceptive. They didn't know what was going on, but they knew I wasn't quite "right". You know what? They took up the slack. They stood with me and helped all of us finish the year. That is the kind of kids I taught. I'm so damn proud of them.

I'll submit to you class that some of the best teachers I've ever seen have lived lives that were far from trouble-free. They've lost sons or daughters to untimely death. They've gone through wrenching divorces. They've lost all they had in a financial scam. They had injuries from fighting in Vietnam. They've suffered from mental illness. They have a family member that is causing them a great deal of grief. They broke a leg in high school and missed out on that athletic scholarship. They worked their ass off to get through college.

It is this adversity that gives them character, dimension, and depth. I hired a teacher once out of college that had absolutely perfect credentials. She'd never made anything less than an "A" in her entire life. She had a college 4.0, involved in campus activities, and married her high school quarterback sweetheart after she got out of college. We put her to work teaching 7th grade math. She probably knew that subject better than anyone else in the building. But she struggled to work with spit-ball throwing, smart alecky, troubled 7th grade boys. She didn't understand them. She had a hard time "getting" where a lot of these kids came from. It just wasn't part of her life experience. She didn't hang out with kids like that in high school or college. She didn't hang out with adults like that in real life. They didn't come running in the door super-eager to soak up the math knowledge she had? She quit after that first year.

(Hey you in the back. Yeah, you Joan! Stop writing those notes and making faces at me)

Class, I know how short attention spans can be, so I'll try and wrap this lesson up. Students? Those teachers in front of you are flawed, ordinary people. Some are incredibly gifted. Some just plug away and do the best they can. A few may not be very good at what they do. Regrettably, a few of them may not even care. Learn from all of them. Watch how they handle the frustration that comes with the job. They are just people like you. They are better educated and they know more than you do. But they've made their share of mistakes and have their warts. Understanding all of this will help you get through school and help you in life.

Here I am class. I bring to you over 40 years of reading, experiences, and knowledge. Triumphs and failures. Heartaches and ecstasy. I've been so poor that I slept in a maintenance garage on boxes, and ate pork and beans every night for a week. I've also been to the White House. I've loved and lost. Boyfriend or girlfriend dump you? I think I can understand. I've been to your houses and seen how you live. Scared of failure? I think we can talk. Someone close to you die? Me too. Feel frustrated at times? I can relate.

Lets recap today's lesson. Your teachers are like anyone else. Don't expect them to be perfect. Expect them to do their best just like they should expect from you. I love you all for who you are. Thats why I'm here. You're not perfect or you wouldn't need me. I'm not perfect or I wouldn't need you. Lets learn from each other and love each other.

Class dismissed.
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