One thing I know about teachers is that they have massive influence. Their words are felt. Their words resonate. Their words change people’s perspectives.
The works of Charles Dickens, the words of Charles Dickens, have changed the world perspective.
Christmas is in two days. If you celebrate, your gathering is absolutely formed by his conception of the holiday and the magic that can surround it. His seminal A Christmas Carol has the kind of resonance that good teachers achieve with their students. It takes readers from horror to laughter to sympathy to joy. It is an amazing arc and one that teachers typically lead their students on in the course of any given class.
Merry Christmas, everyone, indeed…
We never know the influence we have… While culture tends to promulgate the “those who can, do, those who cannot, teach” idiocy, there are hundreds of examples of brilliance and impactful teachers in reality and in pop culture. Every-other-week this year, I will share my brief reflections on Smart People Doing Smart Things be they in literature, in film, in music or in real life. Many will be teachers, but not all. Many will be fictional, but some will be real. All will be inspiring. Welcome to IntelliPop!
