The gigantic little things teachers do

by David Safier

I was touched by a comment from 95 year old, former Governor Raul Castro about how a teacher changed his life.

When Castro was in the fifth grade, his teacher told him he could be a good student if he tried.

"On the way home, I thought to myself, 'That teacher is interested in me,' " Castro told Republic reporter Richard Ruelas. "I don't want to disappoint her."

So he became a good student. Then he got a law degree. Then he was elected Arizona's first Latino governor in 1974, serving two years before being named ambassador to Argentina by President Jimmy Carter.

Not bad for an immigrant kid from Mexico, eh?

I wonder if that fifth grade teacher had any idea the impact she had on that young lad.

A smile, a nod, a quick, "I know you can do it" or "I knew you could do it." Those simple gestures and statements can turn a child around. And more often than not, the teacher never hears about it. Students sometimes told me, long after the fact, things I said to the class as a whole or to them personally that changed things for them. As often as not, I'd forgotten the moment completely. But it always reminded me how important it is for teachers to keep in mind that any moment of contact can be a life changing moment for a student, whether the teacher is aware of it or not.