That One Student

“You cannot be all things to all students. But sometimes. Just sometimes. You will be the right teacher at the right time. You will be the exact teacher that one student needed more than anything.” ~ Paul F.C. Mundy

This week, I saw a brief video on social media that illustrated the powerful impact of teachers. Click HERE to watch. After sharing some stand-up comedy on The Tonight Show, Josh Johnson shares how his high school teacher believed in his potential from the first time Josh performed comedy at the school’s talent show. He invited the teacher to watch him perform his comedy sketch at The Tonight Show. As I watched the video, I felt Josh’s gratitude in his teacher’s belief in him and I observed the pride in his teacher’s face as he cheered on his former student.

As teachers, we have such an incredible opportunity for positive impact. Our days may be long and exhausting, but we are reminded that making a difference doesn’t require perfection. Often, these influential moments begin with noticing strengths in students and naming them. Mr. Ward told Josh, “I’m going to see you on The Tonight Show one day,” and sure enough, he did. One statement after a young man’s first try at comedy. Mr. Ward didn’t need to have everything checked off the list and all the students’ behaviors managed to make a difference for this one student. Because the difficult truth is, we can’t be all things to all students. It’s simply not possible, as much as we would like to believe it is. But we can remain authentically present for opportunities to empower our students in the moment - even if it takes years to witness the results.