August 19, 2013

Ecclesiastes 12:9-10 — And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

Collier County schools began the new school year today and I found myself thinking about teachers — some of to whom I owe a great debt, and how impossible it would be for them to teach in today’s academic climate!

Trevor Pritchard was a big man (as it happened, a Baptist lay preacher). He had the worst store of harmless jokes I ever heard and he was the first teacher that helped me realize I could be really good at something — maths of all things. I don’t know which of us was more surprised when I took to algebra, geometry and calculus like a duck to water!
Roger Usherwood was the archetypal old English public school teacher (note to confused readers – in England, public schools are actually private!). He was such a stereotype that we called him “Chips” and loved him. He sparked a love for Latin and Greek in me — even if I was a pitiful student. It was probably more important that he was happy to divert, whenever it suited him, into things he saw as foundational to Englishness and decency. He passed on to me and many other students, a love for cricket, Shakespeare, Gilbert and Sullivan, parliamentary democracy, Wordsworth’s poetry, the King James Bible and Rudyard Kipling.
Then there was Patrick Martin. Our headmaster. Not a teacher, but a masterly administrator. It was only later that I realized how much he did for me. Without him, I fear the school might have given up on me. But it seems he saw something in me worth hanging on to — even if once or twice he decided that if I wasn’t going to take to my studies head first that instruction might best be delivered to the bottom end first!

While we are on the subject of great teachers — I found a wonderful1872 list of rules for teachers, posted by a New York City principal that included:

Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and scuttle of coal for the day’s sessions.

Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings a week if they go to church regularly.

After ten hours in school, the teachers should spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.

Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barbershop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intentions, integrity and honesty.

I think my teachers might have found those rules easier to deal with some of today’s challenges. Unlike modern teachers they never had to worry about:

Weapon-use and hostage situations.

Hazardous materials or toxic chemical spills.

Weather emergencies, including hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe storms.

Exposure as a result of a manmade emergency.

Some basics of education requirements never change though. How about these from Titus 2:4,6 and 12:

Teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children

Exhort young men to be sober minded

Teaching us that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly

I’m honored to know some teachers striving to meet those requirements — in the school attached to our church, and in some local public schools. There are still some great teachers rising to ever growing challenges. They need our daily prayers!