I got this from my friend Jana… it was too good not to share. Some things are just worth a little bit of ponderance, if you know what I mean.
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, did something not to be forgotten.
On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.
Looking around, confused, they asked, ‘Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?’
She replied, ‘You can’t have a desk until you tell me what you have done to earn the right to sit at a desk.’
They thought, ‘Well, maybe it’s our grades.’
‘No,’ she said.
‘Maybe it’s our behavior.’
She told them, ‘No, it’s not even your behavior’.
And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren’s classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom.
Martha Cothren said, ‘Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.’
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall.
By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.
Martha said, ‘You didn’t earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it’s up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don’t ever forget it.’
By the way, this is a true story. If you can read this, thank a teacher.
“A lesson that is never learned can never be too often taught.” – Seneca
Posted by viciveritas on March 1, 2008 at 2:56 am
An unorthodox teacher. Now that’s refreshing. And quite right in her lesson to them, though I have to say it’s none-too-comforting that no one in a military history class could figure it out without being told.
Perhaps none-too-comforting, but surely not surprising… I think we need more unorthodox teachers like this one. Someone who actually cares about what they are teaching our children, and innovative enough to make it stick. Seems like all I read in the papers these days is how many teachers are having sex with their students. (That never happened to me when I was a kid – should I feel cheated?)
By the way… nice blog… Vini, Vidi, Vici Veritas indeed.
Posted by Aafke on March 1, 2008 at 5:12 am
My mum tought me to read. My teachers tried to stop me, or so it seemed to me.
My mom & dad taught me to read, as well. I was relatively lucky, in that I had genuinely good teachers through my early school years. Teachers that cared for the kids like they were their own. I really didn’t run into any seemingly apathetic teachers until high school, and even more so in my brief (but illustrious) college career. (Then again, I’ve never had much respect for people who can’t admit when they’re mistaken.)
Posted by Samalamadingdong on March 1, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I’ve always been so lucky with teaching. Me ma and da both left their lives and families behind to pursue all that education could give them.
Not strange at all that my sister taught briefly and that I’ve returned to work at college while our parents both still work and teach daily and continue to believe in that process.
Their oldest granddaughter now teaches in a public school and I’ve got a middle son majoring in History.
The inspiration is different for all. Belief takes on it’s own forms.
It is about Learning respect and earning it.
Now if only we can put the money where it belongs…another story
I know that’s right, brother… I know that’s right.
Posted by anon4him on March 2, 2008 at 4:21 pm
This reminds me of a story about a man who gave us the right to live *~.^
I thought it might…
Posted by firefly on March 3, 2008 at 10:21 am
As usual, (yikes) I have several thoughts on this. I’ve chosen a quote to get me started…
“When will the public cease to insult the teacher’s calling with empty flattery? When will men who would never for a moment encourage their own sons to enter the work of the public schools cease to tell us that education is the greatest and noblest of all human callings?” – William C. Bagley
A new can of worms, right? But I can’t think about the topic of teachers without thinking about all the wrong thinking that puts them at the bottom of the pay scale in this country. Why should gifted, inspired people seek to be teachers? And if they happen to, what incentive is there for them to stay passionate about it? It is no wonder we have a bunch of so-so teachers at best doing this important work. Is it any wonder that it creates a vicious cycle of barely get by teachers turning out barely got by students who then recycle into the same type of teachers they had…
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” – William Arthur Ward
Fortunately there ARE some teachers who are GREAT! Teachers who are doing it because they know it is their calling in life, something they can’t help but feel passionately about no matter the poor monetary reward and lack of outward incentive. They seem to be able to keep going on the feeling they have when they know they’ve inspired a student…that what they have done will make a difference…
This all goes back to previous discussion we have had about this country and it’s media who worship false idols (’stars’, sports ‘heros’, tabloid fodder…) This society also choses to pay these people an inordinate amount of money for what they do. Is this tospy-turvy or what?!
My sister is a school teacher, 5th and 6th grade, I am proud to say she is a GREAT teacher, one who always goes above and beyond what is typically expected.
I am grateful there are great teachers like her, I am also grateful that we have men and women who continue to be willing to earn us the right to have desks and give someone like Martha Cothren a wonderful object lesson.
As always, very well said. And you bring up the point that I didn’t, regarding the dismal state of teacher’s salaries here in the US. It surely speaks sadly of our society and where we put our values… and, unfortunately, the phrase ‘garbage in, garbage out’ does indeed apply. Think about it… the last few times I’ve heard anything about teachers in the news (or on the late night talk shows) is when they’ve been caught having sex with their students. What a depressing place we’ve brought ourselves to.
Posted by Brian on April 23, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Sounds like propaganda to me.
Really? That’s a shame.
Posted by Camille on November 2, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Wow I truly can say.. I love Ms. Cothern she is the best teacher yet….she told our class about that day and it was so sad…She really does love our troops…And so do I!
Wow! It’s very cool to hear from someone who actually sits in her class! Thanks for the visit, and for the comment! :->