Why We Write: National Teacher Day
When I set a New Year’s resolution in 2012 to write a letter a day, I knew one of those would go to Mr. Jones. He was my high school World History teacher, and my tennis coach for one year. (I hope I didn’t scare him away from that coaching gig.) He was just a really nice guy who spoke to me like I was a human, and not an idiot teenager. I didn’t pursue history, and I haven’t played tennis in several years. But I remember being treated like more than a kid.
I didn’t give much thought to writing another teacher until I read Adam Grant’s Give and Take in 2016. I am obsessed with this book, not least of all because it features one of my college professors. C.J. Skender was the type of instructor who made you feel like he was teaching straight to you, even in a room of a couple hundred.
“[Skender is] a unique character, known for his trademark bow ties and his ability to recite the words to thousands of songs and movies on command.... [He] is one of a few professors for whom Duke University and the University of North Carolina look past their rivalry to cooperate: he is in such high demand that he has permission to teach simultaneously at both schools.”
He always had a mix of accounting problems and pop-culture trivia on the overhead projector (oh, 1998!) for us to work on as we settled into class. I hope I knew some of the accounting answers, but I definitely know I had the class’s only correct answer to “what is track 3 on Ben Fold Five’s new album?” (Brick) and “what was the name of John Travolta’s character on ‘Welcome Back, Kotter?” (Vinny Barbarino)
When I read about Skender’s far-reaching, humble influence in Grant’s book, I penned him a note of thanks. And don’t you know that he wrote me right back?
National Teacher Day is May 7th. I’m willing to bet that great teacher had you in class, had your kid in class, is your thoughtful neighbor, or might even be someone in your own family. I’m also willing to bet that they’d love to hear from you.
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If you are interested in buying Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant, I recommend you seek a copy from your local independent bookstore.