Imitable Teachers

At a back-to-school night a parent raised their hand when the Jerry Garcia-esque tenth grade honors social studies teacher asked if anyone in the room had any comments. In an aggressive tone the parent declared Sir, the map assignments you give the kids are very very difficult. And the teacher, clad in his Hawaiian shirt and full beard, gently shook his head  and said Yes. Any other comments?

Sometimes the very parents who complain that their child is not sufficiently challenged in the classroom complain even louder when their child is unable to rise to that challenge. Parents rant about the height of the bar being set too low until they realize that that same bar is still too high for their child.

When there was a change in principals and superintendents there was also a change in how inimitable teachers were embraced. Non-conformists did not adjust well in the more restrictive environment. e was unwillingly to be boughtHe HeHeheThe Jerry Garcia-esque teacher’s reluctance to yield coupled with a nagging health issue prompted his retirement. Kara’s class was his last.

But this is what I know for sure--my daughters were better students for having had such a teacher. Because of him, they realized that there was a lot more room outside of the box than inside of it. Their minds were stretched. Their conservative Garden City world met a liberal contrast.  And it is never a bad thing for teenagers to see that sometimes in life it is better to walk away than to give up your core values. The one person you must always answer to is yourself. Sacrificing your principles is sometimes a price tag too big to pay—your self-worth is priceless.

And teachers who look a lot like Jerry Garcia are the reason former students can blow through the world history and geographic categories on Jeopardy. It is an accomplishment only very few can achieve with ease—an accomplishment that is the result of successfully completing  some very very difficult map assignments in honors 10 Social Studies class. And something achieved without any parental intervention, interference or complaint.