John Eggers: Who have you taught lately?

In case no one has ever said this to you, let me be the first. You are a teacher. You influence people. You do matter.
I was reminded of this fact that I am a teacher this past week when I encountered one of my former students who was working at a Bemidji business. He approached me and said, “Hi, John, remember me? I was in one of your classes in Cass Lake.”
I did remember him. He was taking a parenting class I taught for a couple of years in the 1990’s. He was always a regular and an active participant. He went on to thank me for helping him with his family.
Had he not told me this; I would have not known that our conversations had made an impact on his life. As teachers, we never know where our influence stops or begins.
Another experience I had reminds me of how true this is. I was teaching a class in northern Wisconsin about fifteen years ago. It was a class for teachers in children’s literature. As part of the requirements, you had to read five books that the teachers chose to read.
You would expect that all teachers love reading and would relish the opportunity to read for enjoyment. All professional educators have had at one time a student who they just could not reach. No matter how much you try to bring them into class and make them feel part of the class, it just doesn’t happen. I had one student in this literature class. I felt badly that I was not reaching her.
At the end of the class when everyone was gone and I was cleaning up to return home, this teacher walks into the room. She said that she was never a reader and did not appreciate books like the other teachers. She also was very apprehensive about having to read five books.
She went on to say as a result of the class, she gained an appreciation for books that she didn’t know was in her and thanked me profusely for teaching the class and giving her this new found enjoyment.
Like all professional educators, we frequently encounter former students who approach us and introduce themselves as one of our students and go on to thank us for our teaching. This is one of the hidden perks that comes with being an educator and is often overlooked when we cite the many good things about being a teacher.
What is the point of all of this?
First, whether you have a degree in teaching, realize that you and everyone around you is a teacher. From the 5 year old to the 95 year old, we influence people. Whether you are a butcher, a baker or a candlestick maker, what you say and do influences others. You should never forget this. It is one of the joys of living.
Second, realize that you can positively influence people or negatively influence people. What do you do?
Anyone who does terrible things usually does them because of something he or she has learned from another person. This person could have been a parent, a friend, a relative, a teacher, a boss or maybe it was someone they read about in a book or saw on the computer or TV. Those bad things came about because that person’s brain made some connections as a result of some experiences and those connections resulted in some terrible things he or she did.
The opposite can be said of good things that people do. Someone helped that person make decisions that led to good things happening.
Third, realize that you are a valued person. Because we all are teachers, we all have the opportunity to influence others. Our inactions as well as our actions are meaningful and can and do make impressions on others. This is why as adults, we need to consider what we do or don’t do when around young people.
As adults we are often critical of young people for what they say or do. Who do you think influences them? We say, “Well, I certainly didn’t act that way when I was that old.” This is probably true, but you helped create the society where these young people live. So for the good or for the bad, we need to take ownership in what happens today because, as I said, we are all teachers and we never know where our influence stops.
One question I frequently ask my students is, “What person influenced you during your life time?” It’s a good question. Maybe an even better question is, “Because you are a teacher, what person have you influenced?”
John R. Eggers of Bemidji is a former university professor and area principal. He also is a writer and public speaker.