In Praise of Teachers

Education program remarks – Notre Dame College - September 25, 2022

Greetings to our students, families, friends and faculty members from the department of professional education. So happy to have you all with us today for this occasion.

Mrs. Block

Sister Michelle Marie

Sister Timothy one year who became sister Eileen the next year

Miss O’Kane, ah, the middle school crush.

Mr. Fabian

Brother Marion

Brother Joe

Rubin and Rocera 

Mr. Keedy

Mr. Boxell

Mr. Willis

Bill Graham

Teddy Handfield

Joe Lewis

Ed Cashman

Rabbi Howard Hirsch

Sunil Chand

These were all teachers of mine from kindergarten through graduate school. Certainly not all of the teachers, but each of these is memorable to me for some specific reasons.

For example, Mrs. Block noted that I was not afraid to stand up in front of a group and gave me the part of the frog narrator in our trip to the zoo performance at the end of kindergarten. I’m still not afraid to stand up in front of a group.

Sister Timothy, whom I affectionately refer to as the spitting nun, scared the crap out of me in middle school and it didn’t get any better when she changed her name to sister Eileen.

Brother Marion, walking all akimbo because of a skiing accident in his youth, introduced me to Shakespeare. That affection would never wane.

Mr. Willis taught music theory. It was in his class I heard my first piece of classical music, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor. I listen to classical music every day and think fondly of him.

Mr. Graham helped me find my inner strength and my voice which has hopefully made me an effective leader.

Rabbi Hirsch expanded my views of moral leadership.

Sunil Chand became a great mentor as he shepherded me through my doctoral program.

Those individuals represent 24 years of education in my life over a span of years much longer. But I have vivid memories of each of them and many others. Think for a moment about the teachers that have been influential in your young lives. I’m sure some if not many stand out. 

Certainly we are shaped by our parents, guardians and other close family members. Parents are considered the first teachers. But we are undoubtedly shaped by the women and men who serve students in classrooms across the country.

In a few years, you will be one of them. You will be a person of influence. It may be to a small child or a child with special needs. It may be to a prepubescent young teen who needs emotional support. It may be to a brooding angsty teenager in high school. Perhaps someday you’ll occupy a classroom at a college or university educating another generation of teachers.

The work you are undertaking is solemn. You will help shape and form the hearts, souls, and minds of children. What an awesome responsibility.

We live in a time when we desperately need you to enter the classrooms of our community and our country. I hope and pray that your journey here will lead you to that ultimate end. I am confident that these dedicated faculty will provide the necessary guidance to get you there. 

On behalf of the children and young people you will serve, I think you in advance.