When I first began the public school part of my teacher journey – a journey which I feel is far from over – I had the opportunity to attend a retirement ceremony for an outgoing teacher.  I had known this particular teacher when I was in high school.  Back in the early 80’s, he taught English – or maybe History, I don’t know.  I was never smart enough to ever have a prayer of doing well in his high-level class.  Several teachers were retiring this particular year, and all of them had been with the district in some capacity for more than 40 years.

Funny, but he looked exactly the same to me.  Same hairdo, same tidy appearance, same spectacles.  Rain or shine always wearing shorts, which somehow didn’t fit his overall demeanor.  I don’t recall much of his retirement speech, except one very important comment that he decided we all needed to know and hear.  He said something to the effect of: ” I pride myself on never making any personal relationships with my students, and made sure I kept my professional distance from them at all times. I recommend you all do the same.”

Ok, maybe he didn’t say EXACTLY those words, but that’s what I heard.  Something inside me reacted upon hearing this part of his speech.  I may have snorted, coughed or gurgled something incoherent.  I disagreed violently with his opinion, and his pride in his opinion.

One of my students asked me today,  “Why are you a teacher, Mr. C?”  I could have answered with one of the many interview-ready remarks educators say about why they teach, but mine was, “Because everyday is different.”  That’s not the entire reason, but it pretty well sums up how I feel when I arrive to work in the morning.  I never know what’s going to happen.

I’ll take it one step further, and propose that it is precisely because I have taken the time to cultivate personal relationships with my students, and because a bond has developed between us, that the challenge becomes less content-oriented, and more life-oriented.  There is no magic here.  Get to know your students and your teaching will expand into many uplifting and heartbreaking dimensions.  Keep your “professional distance” and you do the same thing day after day, year after mind-numbing year until you retire with the same haircut and a pair of barely appropriate khaki shorts.  Is that what you want?

I’m no expert, but I think part of having heart is to remember what it was like for us when we were in school.  How we felt in elementary, middle, and high school.  We all needed adults other than our parents to care about us and understand us.  More to come later…

I am a special education teacher.  There – I said it.

Never really wanted to be one.  It just sort of happened.

I’ve been hoping to see what my life would look like when I grew up, and I’m still a teacher.  I don’t think I’ve grown up yet, and after 25 years of being an educator it doesn’t look like it’s going to occur.

I was inspired to begin blogging by what I see around me everyday – the many incredible students, fellow teachers, coaches, parents, and even administrators I work with.  Everyone has a story, and teachers need to find the humanity and humor in the people and situations we encounter as we go about our business.

Have heart teachers.  Or better yet, have A heart.