On being inspired by his middle school teacher, from the Front Page Sections, translated…
A student who’d, graduated years before came back to the campus to visit me, and, this gentle young man before me, was quite the opposite from how I’d, remembered him as back in middle school. Di is a current student in the master program of kinesiology at a certain university right now, and he’s, taking the education courses as well. I recalled that he’d, gone to the technical high school after he graduated from the middle school years, I’d curiously asked him why he’d, selected the kinesiology department at the end.
“Teacher, don’t you remember? I can’t sit still in class in my first year of middle school, I can’t stay still. One day, you’d, taken me to the P.E. courses, wanted me to get on the sports teams. I’d found the martial arts team, later on, as I’d gone to technical high school, I’d, continued training in the dragon and lion dance teams; in college, I’d, learned of my own, shortcomings, and so, I’d, worked on my master’s program.” Di told me his story, of how he’d, selected the department of kinesiology.
I was really shocked, back when I’d sent him up to the school teams, I’d, only wanted him, to get rid of all his, excessive energies; I can’t, imagine, how he’d, used this as an opportunity, found a brand new path for himself. “I’m truly grateful”, before he’d left, he’d, bowed deep toward me.
like, this???
photo found online
Di may not have been the best student I ever taught, but, his making a trip back to school, to show me his gratitude, I feel, more than, comforted. Some see teachers as gardeners, after the seeds were sown, they’d needed watering, to be, watched over, cared for, and education is the means to do that, and, giving the students love, is giving those saplings what they needed to grow. There are, so many, flowers in the garden, of course, it would be hard, for every single one of them to bloom radiantly, but at least, we can, all plant down the seeds, give the students, a right belief of life, to help them shine with their, varied skills and talents, then, we’ll be, fitting, gardeners.
And so, this is, the results of the teacher’s touching a student’s life, and, the result of how much you managed, to touch someone, it may not show up, until many years later, but, make no doubt, you are, making a huge difference in the lives of young children today, helping them become, who they’ll be, tomorrow.
Life, the Obstacle Course 