358/365 -people to thank who have had an impact on me. I am the type of guy who thinks that everything in life will always work out. The philosophy that I employ in my teaching life is that I, as teacher, am not there to mold students but to rather unfold them as they bring to my class (and to me) a sense of who they are. Education is not to indoctrinate but to introduce. I feel that I and my colleagues are there to get students to enjoy something about school and to try and reach a potential – not necessarily their full potential but to start on it. That has been mindset when it comes to my students and perhaps that is naïve on my part but that’s what I believe and I have met many of them as adults and see how they are living their lives and I’m really happy for them as they are on that path. Earlier this year, and don’t judge me here, I, with a buddy, ended up at an, ahem, a gentlemen’s club. We just walked in on a lark and ended up at the stage – let me repeat, don’t judge 😉 We are having beers and talking to each other and sadly, which is normally the case, not paying much attention to the entertainment. As I’m engaged, I hear “Mr Sangha? Is that you?” 8/ I was in shock. I looked up and I immediately recognized A!! I had taught her more than a decade ago in grade 12 and well, here she was – uhm, in all her glory – on stage. I could not look at her and she sensed my unease and comfort. My buddy was in shock – no doubt as I was stunned beyond belief. I sat there, consciously avoiding any inadvertent gaze at the stage because to me, my former students are perpetually 17 and 18. A finished her set and robed up and came right up to me. All eyes in the establishment were on us as it was a weird bonding but no one knew she was my former student. She gave me a hug and as I do with my former students, I gave her one – I would not have rejected her as this the exact moment where I realized that I had no right to judge. Before this moment in time, this type of entertainer didn’t really elicit any emotion from me (be it positive or negative) as I didn’t think there would be anything ever linking us but here was super smart, keener A in that same role. We sat, had drinks and talked about how she got to where she was. It was a great heart to heart and I understood a lot more about her life circumstances that brought her to this moment. She could tell I was dejected and she told me that I was still one of the teachers that she remembered and that she hoped I wasn’t disappointed in her. That did it – damn, tears welled up – here is this stunning biracial beauty who was an athlete and academic achiever in front of me again and everything else I had just seen (actually avoided) and heard was out the window. I gave her another hug. Wished her well. That moment stays with me and now I realize that yes, I can have expectations for my students but they have their realities and just because I have defined potentialities doesn’t mean that they aren’t reaching them – just a different set of them given their life circumstances. Thank you A for schooling me!
randysangha 