Teachable Moments

Encourage one another and build each other up. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

A young teacher in the 1950’s was thinking of creative ways to keep her classroom quiet, focused, and learning.  One little boy named Mark was particularly talkative.  Nothing the young teacher did seemed to decrease Mark’s off-task chatter.  Every time the teacher asked Mark to stop talking, he’d respectful reply, “Thank you for correcting me.” Mark would remain quiet for a few minutes but would always go back to chatting.  This went on for weeks.  Finally, at her wits end, the young teacher told Mark she’d tape his mouth closed if he didn’t “Shhhhh!”  

Less than three minutes passed when Mark’s best friend Chuck blurted out, “Mark’s talking again.”  The teacher had no choice.  She opened her desk drawer, removed a thick roll of masking tape, walked to Mark’s desk, and proceeded to tape a large X over Mark’s mouth.  As she returned to the front of the classroom to continue her lesson, she couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.  Then the whole class joined her. Once she removed the X from Mark’s mouth, he politely said, “Thank you for correcting me.”  This only caused more laughter to erupt in the room.

Years later this same teacher was teaching older students “New Math.”  She had many of her same students again including Mark and Chuck. One day when she could tell that her students were extremely frustrated with the lesson, she thought of a creative way to change the mood.  She asked the students to close their textbooks, take out a blank sheet of paper and write every person’s name down the left side of the page.  Then she asked them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each one of their classmates and write it next to their name.  As the teacher collected the completed assignment, Chuck handed his in with a huge smiling and Mark said, “Thank you for teaching me.”

The teacher spent the weekend compiling the papers and, on Monday, she gave each student the kind words the others had written specifically for them.  As the students quietly read their papers, she watched serious faces turn into huge smiles.  Comments and whispers were spoken, “I can’t believe it.  That’s so nice.  Thank you. Wow, I’m really liked after all!” 

Years passed and the teacher moved away from her hometown.  One weekend she returned to visit her family.  While home, her parents broke the terrible news that Mark had been killed in Vietnam.  Mark’s parents were hoping that she’d attend his funeral the next day.  The teacher sadly agreed.

At Mark’s funeral, one of the servicemen who had helped carry Mark’s coffin approached the teacher and asked if she’d taught Mark in school.  When she nodded, he said, “Mark spoke very highly of you.”  She quietly thanked him for his service and his kind words.  As she turned to leave, Mark’s parents and several classmates walked her way.  Mark’s father reached in his pocket and removed a folded, taped-up piece of paper.  As he carefully opened it, the teacher immediately recognized her handwriting.  Mark’s father said, “They found this on Mark when he was killed in battle.”  

One by one Mark’s classmates shared how they’d kept their own pages ever since.  Chuck kept his in his wallet.  Others kept theirs in a top desk drawer, tucked safely in their diary, or even framed in a wedding album. Everyone was thankful for the creative and kind way she had taught them about themselves.  If Mark had been there, surely he would have said, “Thank you for teaching us to be kind to one another.”

This young teacher had taught lessons of kindness that lasted well beyond that day’s class.  It had affected people’s lives.

As a third generation teacher, I don’t necessarily remember the math units I’ve taught.  But I do remember the friendships I’ve helped kindle, the encouragement I’ve given to special needs children, and the love I’ve shared with students going through difficult times.  

Jesus is our teacher. When he was asked what was the most important commandment from God. Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) Our lives are to be led by love.  Love God and love others.  

Jesus’ lesson is simple: encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  Like a great teacher does, Jesus makes it clear what we are to do and draws us into the creative process.   

How will you create lasting memories of kindness, encouragement, or love that lifts others up?  This week, how will you turn serious faces to huge smiles?  When you do, don’t be surprised when you hear “Thank you for...”

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(I re-told this story, “All Good Things,” which was written by Sister Helen P. Mrosla. It has been published in, among other places, Proteus, Readers Digest, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Stories for the Heart.)