The Fourth ‘R’

“The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained

will be like their teacher” (Luke 6:40, New International Version).

From kindergarten to college, students are heading back to school this month. Although the educational process has changed a lot over the years, one thing hasn’t changed: Teachers have a huge impact on their students’ lives.

In America’s pioneer days, teachers led one-room schools where kids from ages six to 18 were crammed into the same space. When I was a boy, I attended a small rural school where three teachers handled six grades, with two grade-levels in each classroom. It was an effective system, as older students helped to tutor the younger ones.

Lasting Influence

Mrs. Tolle, my first and second grade teacher at Salem Elementary, believed in hands-on learning. She brought tadpoles, flowering plants, and praying mantises into the classroom. She had us paint the room’s windows with bright-colored glass wax and took us on field trips to a goat farm and an art museum. Each day began with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Lord’s Prayer.

In the third and fourth grades, Mrs. Miller taught us how to multiply and divide, and she insisted we write with smooth cursive letters—a dying skill today. She loved geography and expected us to learn the capital city of every state and the identity of every nation on the globe. She would be amazed to see how the world has changed in recent years, especially in Eastern Europe.

My teacher in the fifth and sixth grades, Mr. Bock, was a tall, dignified gentleman with a shiny bald head. He never raised his voice, but his head turned bright red when students irritated him. I still recall the time he asked the class, “Does anyone have a favorite Scripture verse to share?” To demonstrate, Mr. Bock flawlessly quoted John 14:1-3 and Jesus’ promise, “in my Father’s house are many mansions.” In our public school, he felt complete freedom to express his faith in Christ.

With a little effort, I can name most of the teachers and coaches who guided me through the turbulent waters of junior high and high school. Overcoming my distaste for certain subjects, they taught me about algebra and chemistry, world history, and English literature. They showed me how to sing baritone, how to overcome a full-court press in basketball, and how to carve and finish a chunk of oak in wood shop.

Creating Ripples

My teachers weren’t all outstanding educators. Some of them were eccentric, ill-tempered, and poorly prepared. A few were inconsistent and unpredictable. I had a couple of coaches whose foul language and temper tantrums undermined their leadership. All teachers influence their students for good or for bad. Some show by example what not to do.

Remember the “three Rs”? Generations of teachers imparted skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic—but evidently not in spelling, since two of the three “Rs” don’t start with “R”! Anyway, maybe we should add a fourth “R” for “ripples.” Decades after I was in their classrooms, my teachers still exert a ripple effect in my life.

That’s a sobering thought for all of us. What lessons—good or bad—are others learning from our example? What ripples of influence are we passing along to the next generations? Decades from now, what will they remember about us?