wakingharmony posted on Mar 20, 2008
| views: 112
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha
Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in
Little Rock , did something not to be forgotten.
On the first day of school, with the permission of the school
superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed
all of the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that
there were no desks.
Looking around, confused , they asked,
'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'
She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me what you
have done to earn the right to sit at a desk.'
They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'
'No,' she said.
Maybe it's our behavior.' She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.
And so, they came and went, the first period, second period,
third period. Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in
Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had
taken all the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students
found seats on the floor of the desk less classroom.
Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to
tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the
desks that are ordinarily found in this clas sroom. Now I am going to
tell you.'
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her
classroom and opened it.
Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into
that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began
placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and
stand alongside the wall.
By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place
those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their
lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.
Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks.
These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now,
it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to
be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you
could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'
By the way, this is a true story.... If you can read this, thank
a teacher. If you read it in English, thank a soldier.
Yes, it really is a true story..
Comments
-
uniquely-ironic said on Mar 20, 2008....
Awesome story. We need more teachers that are that thought provoking. -
quietone said on Mar 20, 2008....
I hadn't heard this before. this is really awesome and thanks for sharing it. Sometimes I think we all need a reminder of the little things we take for granted in this country. -
killingme4u said on Mar 20, 2008....
hey,how are you?missed ya.btw---if your interseted--why i love my grammy---hope to see ya around more again.be good......... :)) -
silverwhisper said on Mar 20, 2008....
now that was interesting, WH. thank you. :>
ed -
queenparanoia said on Mar 21, 2008....
great post.... you know my grandpa is a veteran too...
Comment on "A Lesson From A Teacher!.....Your Rights.."
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