I don’t usually remember my dreams. Mine tend to work on the bath principle. Namely when I sleep the dream is the water that fills the bath and then as I move into the waking moments, someone has let the plug out and by the time I’m awake the dream has drained away. That is what usually happens.
Not on this occasion. On this occasion I distinctly remember being in my workplace where half a dozen learners were set a task to carefully listen to each other’s experiences. This work was set with the knowledge of my colleague. Then a dozen other learners entered the centre and from a focussed area of people following the task, pandemonium broke out. (Awesome word pandemonium, can’t believe it’s not been used in this blog yet – use it today!) Instead of people doing what they were told they were messing about. When I enquired of my colleague what had happened a shrug of the shoulders and passive allowing of the chaos was the response.
Irritated, I left the initial teaching delivery area I moved into the IT area where some of the young people were carrying on with their high jinks. (Another great phrase gets its debut on the blog). As I got closer to the group a taller, older person came in view. He looked familiar and then I recognised who he was – it was my old R.E. teacher! Now I was in awe, because he was one of the most influential forces on my formative teen years. I spent a while talking with him, and he told how he was the caretaker of the school I went to and how he was looking out to see how I was doing.
There the dream ended. So it’s not a fact that my old R.E. teacher is the caretaker of my old school. It is a fact that he is one of the most influential people on my life. I’m sure my journey down the reflective, contemplative, thoughtful route would not have taken place as it did without his inspiration and motivation. In fact there may have even been some subtle influence to love teaching because of his love for teaching.
It has been almost 20 years since I last saw him, but he remains a significant part of my memories and I will never forget him for sharing himself in such a brilliant way.
This is not an advert for the education system at the moment, because if life has taught me anything it’s that great teachers are not just those in institutional educational establishments. I’ve been taught life’s lessons by amazing people who will never darken the doors of a school.
This is an advert to say never forget those good teachers – whether in school, or at work, on in the home, or wherever. Never forget them and in honour of them continue applying the great lessons they taught. In that way you never know who may look on you in a similar way as a good teacher.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
dmcd
Life With CD 