Who Knew?

QUIZ: PUT THESE IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER!

No one could have suspected that this person would enjoy a long and sometimes illustrious career in the education field. George Haffeman, BEST PRINCIPAL EVER, threatened to fire me five times, poked me in the chest at least once and probably sprayed saliva on me too while angrily denouncing me as an idiot...all the while striving to make me a better teacher. I owe him a lot. Maybe I'll let him win at pickleball on Monday...or maybe not.
Everyone needs a mentor, and George was mine for fifteen years or more. After I got over my initial rebelliousness (me? rebellious?), he allowed me to be creative, and I tried not to do stupid things, e.g. things prohibited by the handbook and/or common sense. It turned into a great relationship, one that I have not shared the last ten years or so with any other principal. They all had good points, but nobody cared about my teaching more than did George. He did it for me, but he also did it for our students who, he felt, deserved better than I gave them initially...and he was right.
If one can look back on a career and remember how specific people made all the difference, it makes the reminiscence sweet, not nostalgic. Colin Kahl and George Haffeman are responsible for the person I am today. Many other people played significant roles, but these two men took a) a 13-year-old-high school kid and b) a relatively new teacher and did wonders. No longer fearful, insecure and combative (most of the time), I feel that I have developed into an effective person and teacher. I can only hope I have influenced others in some small way. I can leave a lifeong pursuit and mosey off into another sunset with joy.