Flying over a section of the snow dusted Rocky Mountains on my way to Denver, Colorado, and then Indianapolis, brought back memories of my first day of high school. We had a Social Studies quiz. I get the feeling our new teacher was trying to distill some fear in us, I certainly didn't know many of the answers. One of the questions was: What State is the Rocky Mountains in? A lovely redhead in the class who turned into one of my best friends, is an American. She had just spent the American winter with her Grandparents in Colorado so she knew that the Rockies are in Colorado. It was kind of a stupid questions as they hit a bunch of states, right?
This teacher was not a very kind teacher, she was in it for the money, as they say. Or maybe so she could flirt with the Social Studies teacher next door. Anyway, she told my buddy that she was wrong - the answer in her teachers' manual was Idaho - and somehow she made her completely doubt herself, even though she'd just been in that part of the world and probably knew more than our teacher. Our teacher was in a position of power and authority, she asserted herself and did not consider that she might not be right.
I always hoped I'd never do the same as a teacher but I know I have. My first year teaching was a particularly hard year and I said all sorts of things I regret now. I am forming a New Years resolution based on this - I hope to focus on my conversation skills this coming year and somehow bring more grace into them. I'll keep you posted as I formulate this more.
By the way, the view was incredible from my little window seat in the plane, until we hit Denver after which it was all flat: corn country.
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