After a long absence, I thought I'd dust this binary space off for some late evening reflection on some recent news that's gotten me thinking about the impacts we have on the lives around us, intentional or not.
Yesterday I learned that my father, a high school technology - although when he started it was industrial arts - teacher, decided to retire after 39 years. Pause for a moment and let that settle in... 39 years. In one job. A rough estimate is that he's taught approximately 4,500 high school students during this time (myself being one of them). He's taught sons and daughters of former students, and helped direct the lives of many a direction-seeking young adult. I don't know what many of his former students have gone on to do, but I am positive they all can look back on his class and see in some way, big or small, the impression it left on them. Some may have a very tangible reminder of the time spent with Dad, perhaps in the form of a beautiful piece of furniture they made, a boot-jack, or camp chair. Others may have gone on to pursue careers in architecture, construction, or radio broadcasting. All will likely remember the very funny or very terrible (depending on your viewpoint) jokes. He always says one of the incentives to pass his classes the first time is that the jokes don't get any better the second time around...
When I was still in school, he experienced probably one of the more difficult professional challenges of his career - a fight to save his job. There were some in the district that felt the courses he taught didn't belong in the "standard" curriculum and that students interested in taking these classes should do so only if they opted to enter into the "trades". This would have eliminated his position, and students who wanted to take both technical drawing or woodworking and chemistry or biology wouldn't be able to do so. I remember many a late-night meeting, and plenty of stressful months as this confrontation played out. In the end, the technology department prevailed and he kept his job. I am thankful for this because it meant that later I was able to gain a more well-rounded high school education by taking courses that provided hands-on as well as "passive" experiences.
So Dad, as you close out one chapter in your life, I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you on behalf of all your former students for choosing the career path you did, and for taking the time to care passionately about us. I couldn't imagine for a moment being in a classroom of hormone-charged teenagers with power tools and coming out alive - and you've managed to do so for years on end, and succeeded in shaping lives along the way. Thank you.
