As a High School teacher and college professor I've had many opportunities to make an impact on my students. Here are a few examples.
MATT
Several years ago I ran into a former student named Matt standing in front of the high school that I work in.
"Hey Matt," I said. "how are you?"
Matt looked a bit dejected and replied, "OK."
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Well," He said." nothing really, it's just that I'm not going to my classes. I'm not doing my homework. I just don't feel like doing anything."
I looked at him for a minute and then I replied, "Have you been smoking weed?"
He looked at me for a moment and then answered with surprise, "Yes, how did you know?"
I went on to tell him about how it takes one month for marijuana to come out of a person's body, and that smoking weed could often lead to a condition called Amotivational Syndrome. The fact that some people who smoke can alter their motivation levels to do things.
Matt appreciated my comments and told me so. I didn't think much about him, but then I saw him again the next semester.
"How are you?" I asked.
"Great," he replied. "I just wanted to tell you that I started going to my classes, working out, and most importantly I quit smoking up."
He informed me another time that I was his favorite teacher, and I subsequently and enthusiastically wrote him a letter of recommendation. Ultimately he graduated and went to college. I really felt that like my friend Barry that I could make a difference in someone's life.
Debra
Another one students was named Debra. My High School class was busy doing an assignment to see if they could create a behavior for the new year in the span of three weeks. It was loosely based on Pavlov's research, or at least so I believed.
Debra was a bit overweight and one day asked me as part of the assignment,
"Mr. Levine, how do I lose weight?"
I replied, "Debra, instead of trying to lose weight think about trying to add things to your life."
"Like what?" She asked.
"Like, one month adding more water, more exercise, weight train, etc." I answered.
A year and a half later she came back to visit from George Washington University and stopped in my class. Debra had lost 45 pounds in that time. She looked great.
"I just wanted to thank you," she said. "I took your advice and I joined the college gym, and every month I added something new. Over one and a half years I made many little life changes, and feel so much better as a result."
Simply said that when we add healthy behaviors we can crowd out the bad ones. It's just important to remember that "A jack of all trades is the master of none." and that we shouldn't try to change too many things at one time. Considering the new year is upon us it's clear that while we can change things in our lives its probably best to focus on the few and build on that success. As Debra certainly proved.
Nancy
My student Nancy was an anorexic at age fourteen, but after being hospitalized she began to put her energy into her studies. Nancy eventually became our school's valedictorian. Not only that, but she also created an organization to create teddy bears to give to children with eating disorders and other problems to help them cope while they were in a shelter or hospital.
I wish I could say that it was because of me that she became so successful, but it was all her and the hard work and dedication of her friends. She did come back one year to visit and we did a bear workshop with one of my classes. I even tried to make a bear, but I can't say it was that cute. It basically looked a cyclops. Nancy had pity on me and helped make it more acceptable.
One other memory I have about Nancy was that she passed out in class once. We were watching the film The Truth About Sex and I noticed that she looked a bit pale. I probably should have intervened earlier but I wasn't sure if she was sick or not. Eventually she passed out and bumped her head. I called the nurse and helped her till the nurse arrived. It's not every day the valedictorian passes out in your class. She overcame that too, and went on to have a full scholarship to an ivy league college, and continues making bears for the needy and the ill.
Other successes
I've been teaching for twenty years and sometimes it's hard to remember the lives I've touched. I did three years of counseling before I became a teacher. I've helped students create behaviors to drink more water and eat more fruit. I've written many recommendation letters that enabled students to get into college including full scholarships at a few CUNY's. Some days I feel like a farmer who doesn't know if the seeds I've planted will bloom or not.
I've also run school-wide activities for quitting smoking, and helped coordinate five health fairs.
At the college I made several students more aware of their bodies. We have watched videos about testicular cancer which led a few of my students to do self exams and ultimately find lumps and prevent other health problems as well.
On another occasion I gave students the opportunity to get STD testing for extra credit, and on at least one occasion a woman found out they were positive for chlamydia. A curable STD, but one which can lead to infertility. She ultimately had it cured, and was very appreciative because like many women she had no symptoms.
I've also brought many guest speakers to discuss many social issues like homophobia, transphobia, and rape and sexual assault. I bring in speakers not only to educate students, but also to give them resources for help.
Life Lesson 120: Sometimes teaching can be a job that often goes unnoticed or unappreciated and we don't know if they are listening or not, but every once in while you have the chance to make a difference, and that makes the job truly special, because you realize what the good book says, "He who saves one life it's as if they've saved the world."
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