Honor Your Mentors

*This photo was scanned from my alma mater's alumni publication. If the photographer's name was given I'd credit that person. Unfortunately, it was not to be found.

The man in the picture is Dr. J., one of the professors in the Special Ed. department of the university where I earned my degree. He was, in fact, the founding chairman of the department. Special Education and preparing future teachers was not just a career path for Dr. J. It was a lifestyle. It was his calling.

When I went through the program he was teaching the introductory course and the course on assessment and planning. His intention was not merely that we have an overview of the history and philosophy of special education, or of the types of educational challenges students would present with, or what the biggest issues of the day were in this particular field. Yes, he covered all of that but he also wanted to build into his students a mindset of enabling our future students to achieve their highest potential. He wanted us to first be able to look at the world through the eyes of someone who was faced with difficulties, not so we could learn pity but so we could gain empathy. We spent some of our early classes "handicapped" in some way. Some of us were expected to take notes with our non-dominant hand or our notebooks were masked by a cover so we could only see to write in them by looking through a mirror. Some were given earphones which played a constant buzzing during the lecture. Many other modes were employed as well in order to simulate various learning disabilities and to frustrate our ability to attend and keep up. When the novelty wore off he spoke very quietly to tell us this was the sort of thing our future students lived with every day but it didn't mean they were unable to learn. It meant we'd have to be creative as to how we facilitated their learning and this is what we'd spend the next 4 years preparing to do. First lesson: Show rather than tell.

Dr. J. showed us much. He gave us an example of what occurs when theoretical knowledge and compassion are combined in a practical manner. Truthfully, I have to say the department was blessed with professors of this ilk. With the exception of one, each professor was genuinely skilled in his or her sub-specialty within the department and passionate about enabling students to reach their fullest potential.

By the middle of the semester I was bearing quite a load of guilt. As it happened his class was at 1pm, followed immediately by another class at 3pm. I also had a morning class from 10am until noon. If I was going to get any kind of lunch it had to be during the noon hour. Poverty stricken student that I was, that meant I had to eat in the commons where my meal plan was already paid for. I'd eat quickly since the line was always long and took forever to get through. Then I'd rush to Dr. J's class which was located on the second floor of a perpetually over-warm building. It is worth noting that Dr. J. had a deeply soothing baritone voice. Having a full stomach, sitting in a too warm room, listening to a hypnotic voice was a terrible combination in terms of maintaining alertness. I'd park myself in the very front row, right next to an open window in the hopes that it would help me stay awake because I really did value the class and very much wanted to pay attention. Nonetheless, I had many pages in my notebook where the writing turned into an indecipherable clot of scribbles as my fingers continued to form letters with my pen but my hand failed to move across the page in the process. I stopped after class one day to apologize profusely for my inability to stay awake, Dr. J. smiled and laughed and said he found it amusing to watch each day but he wasn't terribly worried about it because it was clear I was putting forth an effort in my work, grasping the concepts, and demonstrating great competence in other ways. He also reminded me that when I was teaching students with learning disabilities there'd be many times I didn't think they were paying attention but I'd find out they had soaked up much more than I thought possible, the overall outcome more than a single moment would be the proof. That's not to say he was a pushover. It was clear he wasn't going to cut a person slack if they weren't making any effort.

Dr. J. also worked tirelessly outside of the classroom. He advised local schools in their programs. Also, when their children were mostly grown he and his wife adopted an autistic boy who had been in foster care for a number of years. Dr. J. was equally passionate about advocating for foster children who so often had educational needs but were slipping through the cracks. In time their son grew from a boy prone to violent rages to a man who was the local "go to guy" when you had a broken or malfunctioning electronic device. Dr. J. didn't just lecture his students from theory, he was living every word of wisdom he sought to impart to us.

Dr. J. also took a good bit of interest in his students even after they graduated. He told them he'd continue to be a resource if needed. When Mr. Lime and I announced our intentions to move to Trinidad to begin a program focused on special needs students he was an ardent supporter who went out of his way to put us in touch with people who would be able to provide financial support. When we returned from Trinidad due to administrative problems which were beyond our ability to solve he continued to be a voice of encouragement as we struggled with a sense of failure.

Last week, I received the alumni publication with the above photo and the announcement of a new program in Dr. J's honor. Lots of other scholarships and programs have been established for various professors and deans over the years and I am cynical enough to say there's been a lot of self promotion in many of them. I am happy to see Dr. J. and his wife receiving some long due recognition, though I suspect he'd shrink from it to a degree and only agree to have his name on it if he is assured it is meeting the needs of the people he has spent his life serving. Today, I'd like to honor him here in my own small way.