A Thing of Beauty

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever." - John Keats

Today I spent some time walking around our high school campus, popping in on different classes and teachers to see how things were going.  As I made my way back to my office, I heard yelling from one particular room, and it got louder and louder as I neared the door.  Curiosity got the best of me, and I just had to know what this was all about.

As I stepped in, I was greeted by the booming voice of Mr. Koeman and the wide-eyed stares of his seniors.  The class is studying C. S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, and Mr. Koeman was explaining the message behind letter number 21 -- a particularly poignant one for teenagers.

It was a thing of beauty.

Have you ever watched someone in action--maybe an athlete, or a mother, or a counselor--and thought, This person is doing exactly what they were created to do?  That's how I felt today watching Kevin.

And as the goosebumps rose up on my arms and my eyes started to water, I realized it was because something dawned on me.  This is the kind of teaching, the kind of mentoring, that my own kids are receiving every day, and it's what they have to look forward to for many years ahead.

What a gift.

Here is a teacher so clearly opening up the minds and hearts of his students and climbing inside to shape their view of the world, their choices, and their self worth.  It's exactly the kind of thing my wife and I pray for our own kids, and I wish the parents of every one of the students in that senior English class could have been there.

Your children are precious.
Your children are loved.
Your children matter to us.

Teaching is insanely difficult.  It demands passion and self-discipline and sacrifice and continuous improvement and love like an ocean.  But when it's done well, it's so special that it makes you want to cry . . . like it did me today.

I can't believe that I get to work at a school like this and watch amazing transformations happen in the lives of our young people, and I hope this small snapshot encourages and inspires the parents who entrust their children to us.

Parents and educators: your sacrifices are worth it.

Today, I saw a thing of beauty.  How about you?