I have just passed my 20th year of teaching and in this
moment find myself sitting in a dojo contemplating the
nature of education and what it means to be a student. The
students I work with here at South Portland High School are
amazing people. They have incredible strength and
resiliency. Many of them face difficult challenges just
getting to school in the morning, some are still learning
to make better choices that will enable them to grow as a
person and become more productive students. And so it is
with me, many years their senior. Were I fully enlightened
this might not be the path But I am here, finding
inspiration in my student's lives and in their spirits.
Occasionally I am an inspiration to them, and I hope, at
the very least, that I have shown them compassion, that
someone cares who they are and how they fare each day.
