*A lesson that should be taught in all schools!*
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a
social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , did
something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the
permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building
supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the
first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no
desks. Looking around, confused, they asked, "Ms. Cothren, where're our
desks?" She replied, "You can't have a desk until you tell me what you
have done to earn the right to sit at a desk." They thought, "Well, maybe
it's our grades."
"No," she said.
Maybe it's our behavior." She told them, "No, it's not even your behavior.
And so, they came and went, the first period, seco nd period, third period.
Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.
Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all
the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on
the floor of the deskless classroom.
Martha Cothren said, "Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me
just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are
ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you."
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and
opened it.
Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that
classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the
school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the
wall.
By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids
started to under s tand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how
the right to sit at those desks had been earned.
Martha said, "You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes
did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to
sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be
good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to
get an education. Don't ever forget it."
By the way, this is a true story.... If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you read it in English, thank a soldier.
Kevin Prusse
Principal - Leo J. Muir Elementary
2275 South Davis Boulevard
Bountiful, Utah 84010
When you take the children by the hand,
you take the parents by the heart.
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a
social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , did
something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the
permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building
supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the
first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no
desks. Looking around, confused, they asked, "Ms. Cothren, where're our
desks?" She replied, "You can't have a desk until you tell me what you
have done to earn the right to sit at a desk." They thought, "Well, maybe
it's our grades."
"No," she said.
Maybe it's our behavior." She told them, "No, it's not even your behavior.
And so, they came and went, the first period, seco nd period, third period.
Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.
Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all
the desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on
the floor of the deskless classroom.
Martha Cothren said, "Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me
just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are
ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you."
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and
opened it.
Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that
classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the
school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the
wall.
By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids
started to under s tand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how
the right to sit at those desks had been earned.
Martha said, "You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes
did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to
sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be
good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to
get an education. Don't ever forget it."
By the way, this is a true story.... If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you read it in English, thank a soldier.
Kevin Prusse
Principal - Leo J. Muir Elementary
2275 South Davis Boulevard
Bountiful, Utah 84010
When you take the children by the hand,
you take the parents by the heart.
