Teachers
I'm giving a speech to a room full of teachers on Tuesday. Then I shall present them with this poem. It is from the perspective (which will be mentioned in my speech) of the tad bit older college student, such as myself, but suppose it could be applicable: to any teacher from a student.
Teachers
Thank you: kind teachers
for turning the prism of learning
so that we may view
all the colors of light,
to find our way
Thank you for
teaching us, not only
the answers, but the ever-important
questions to ask,
so that we may find more answers
to ask more questions
to find our way.
Thank you for
projecting us further
than we ever dreamed
we could go, for
opening the doors
we should have turned the handles to . . . so long ago,
for unveiling
the spark of light
nurturing it so that it may grow,
glow, illuminate the darkness
the pitch blackness of previous perceptions,
shining the light of knowledge
upon our faces
warming them
with the brightness
of our futures.
And so, thank you
thank you all
you kind teachers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Show what does it lack? Does it express gratitude?
Teachers
Thank you: kind teachers
for turning the prism of learning
so that we may view
all the colors of light,
to find our way
Thank you for
teaching us, not only
the answers, but the ever-important
questions to ask,
so that we may find more answers
to ask more questions
to find our way.
Thank you for
projecting us further
than we ever dreamed
we could go, for
opening the doors
we should have turned the handles to . . . so long ago,
for unveiling
the spark of light
nurturing it so that it may grow,
glow, illuminate the darkness
the pitch blackness of previous perceptions,
shining the light of knowledge
upon our faces
warming them
with the brightness
of our futures.
And so, thank you
thank you all
you kind teachers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Show what does it lack? Does it express gratitude?
posted by Sir James Eric Watkins at 2:23 AM
14 Comments:
Lovely blogs, I went to your other blog of photos, thank you for visiting, I will be back
I welcome you.
I like it, I think it’s pretty darned grateful…
I have a suggestion for the first part, you knew I would have some damned thing to say didn’t ya?
Not criticism, merely suggestion., mind you, and based on my own flim flam beliefs/opinion.
Here goes….
I think we show ourselves the way, by believing that there must be something more, by knowing that our minds NEED stimulus, CRAVE it even, and by seeking an education and enrolling our selves in one.
Now they, they provide the stimulus we crave, they inspire us to be more than we are, they feed us and challenge us, they get excited when we get it, they want to see us grow, and they nurture that growth.
Does that help, hinder?
James, Becky and I both went to college when we were “older” than the norm student. I was twenty seven when I enrolled in college and Becka was twenty five.
I took the five year plan because I had two kids, a house, a job, and a husband at the time.
Becka lacked about three classes to graduate, I think, maybe a couple more, At that time she decided it would be in her, and her families best interest that she postpone school. Her boy was in diapers and her husband ran a tow tuck company, being on call most of the night.
And she decided that her frappin major made her more crazy than fulfilled. Long story, involving a crisis hotline that she had to wo/man twenty four hours a day, maybe she’ll blog about it some day…
I can so relate to being an older student. WE ARE THE CURVE KILLERS. We are the ones who look around and find ourselves flanked by all kinds of “kids” who are having trouble getting it too.
Hell, if you think about it we’re teaching., practicing, we just aren’t getting paid for it….in money.
But it’s fulfilling to explain things at a coffee shop to younger students who just aren’t sure how to latch on to it, it’s gratifying to relate experiential wisdom to kids who just haven’t had the time to acquire much. And you and I both know that the best way to learn material through and through is to teach it, right?
Life happens and some of us get whisked away in it and then we wake up one day and think, “Wait a damn minute here, how did I get to be--fill in the age--and why do I feel like I need fuel!?!?…And there’s got to be more that I can do, I know there is, my potential is rearing it’s head, snarling it’s teeth, smelling the air around it, forming this feeling of discontent in me, okay it needs more material. Maybe it needs deadlines too, and something to strive and work for, and mostly a mental challenge and channel.
I’m babbling, like I need to tell ya.
But you get me right?
You are the motivating force in your life, they are the alms givers, the soothers of the wild beast inside you that must be fed, the feeders even.
We are the vampires, they are vein that we take what we need from, only it’s not fatal for either, contrary it’s beneficial, win, win.
I love your spirit James, Lori, all unclenched and feeling lose, okay sort of. xx
I get you. That you can be sure of.
Thankx Lori.
I knew when I read your post my teacher-sister would write a book. She, being the wonderful teacher she is, doesn't want to take any credit. When I go to visit, if we go anywhere in town, Lori is acknowledged by every teenager in town, and sometimes their mothers. It's like she is a rock star or something. Teachers deserve gratitude. They are under paid and many times under appreciated.
Don't get me wrong, she is right, you deserve credit as well for having the cahonies to go back to school while working and raising a family. Heres to you for craving knowledge to better yourself and your family!
Bless all teachers for the inspiration and knowledge the instill in us and for feeding our hunger. They deserve a beautiful poem from you James.
P.S. I'll bet you are always helping those younger students who are lost. With your gift for words, I'm sure your explanations help them to comprehend. BTW, I'm 24 credit hours shy of a Bachelors Degree in Psychology...couldn't give up the kid or the job. I was sucking at all three. I had to let one go or fail at all three. When I met Randy, he had a 10 month old baby, my Devin. His incubator bailed. Suddenly becoming a mother while trying to juggle everything else was a little overwhelming. I'm satisfied with my Associates in Arts. I'm well rounded.
Look...I wrote a book too.
She did, she wrote a damn book...she always teases me because I'm the windy one, in type anyway....
(she talks way way more than I do in person, heh, not really.)
Hell I'll bet she has to force herself to read my blog, it being so long in the word tooth, heh.
I'n't she fun? I couldn't be more crazy 'bout her.
It was a good book too.
"than we ever dreamed
we could go, for
opening the doors
we should have opened so long ago"
I love these lines, James. They're excellent.
And thanks for the comment you left at my blog. What's Keenan up to these days? Shoot me an email about him, eh? Or tell him to drop me one...
Chels
Oh man, oh man, chill bumps. Yeup, and you know they never lie.
Quality detection is in the chill bumps, but I think we've had this discussion before.
Okay now let me brag on ya,
Prism, colors of light, to find our way...this mixture of words is electrifying.
And we're finding our own way with their guidance...BAM!
Pushing, good...inspiring, right on...
UNVEILING the spark of light...illuminating the darkness, the pitch blackness of previous perceptions....HOT dayumn man...this rocks!
xx, Lori
uh yeah, chels, will I changed that part. on the master copy it reads: we should have turned the handles to . . . so long ago
What do you think? is that still good for ya?
Lori, you're something. thank for being so appreciative and seemingly receptive to the poems of an indeed simple, yet very complex, man.
I hope the teachers like it.
You liked, and you're a teacher, a great teacher I'm sure of that, even though you'd probably never own up to it.
Thankx again friends. for all that you do.
I'm a'right, I'm sure there are better, but actually, I am pretty damn good at what I do, or I'd lose sleep, and God/Goddess knows I need all the sleep I can squeeze out of night.
I love my kids, I know that, and you know that's really the most important thing.
At the secondary level, we're in the business of helping adolescents mature into men and women, all content aside, that's what we do.
We help them to realize their potential, to realize that they have choices in this life, to grow in character, and intellect, and hopefully to have a good time while they're doing it. I mean really, I choose to be there, but they, well, they HAVE to be there at least until they are 16, and so I try to make it as pleasant, and painless as possible for them.
I've got a pretty good gig, really. I get to hang with fun people, I get to whoop out the art, and I get to watch other people grow in their art and whoop out their art too. What more could I ask for?
Okay so I could ask for less politics, less being put under a microscope, less paper work, more funding, but really every job has it's negatives.
And that poem, you nailed it!
big silly hugs, Lori
hacker's are in my shit.
anyway. the final looks like this.
is it better...or worse?
Hello James
Sorry I have not come by sooner but I did not see your post until today. I am very glad that you liked my poem and I thank you.
I like your poem and hope it went well for you. I also thank you for the invitation to join your poetry group. Maybe you could email me and tell me some more about your group?
I hope to hear from you and I will be back.
bd
Welcome. We are all dreamers here.
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