Tip #2 — What Mother Teresa taught me — more about WHY

Here’s another vignette –a short, very short story, gathered from my many years of teaching, being a hearing officer, school attorney, writer, speaker, and reformer. Hopefully, you’ll find it fun. And that it’ll even bring some wisdom, a smile, common sense reality, a path forward — in our challenging public education and special education worlds. Wisdom and humor are everywhere — often in surprising places. I hope that these Tips help create a path forward for better learning by all students, which is — dear friends and colleagues — always the goal, the WHY.

Last week’s Tip #1 focused on WHY we have schooling and why, special education. The vignette told the story of how the nurse at the Army base taught young Daniel Inouye, who went on to become the Senator from Hawaii for many years, to light his own matches, cut his own meat, etc., after he lost his arm in World War II. That nurse was a super teacher!

Here are two more vignettes about WHY schooling, etc.

Ted was one of my favorite* clients when he was a special education director in a Boston suburban district and I was the district’s attorney. We worked well together. As the district’s attorney, I kept him informed about new requirements, regulations, laws, court decisions, etc.

Ted always listened carefully. Often, we had a robust discussion — back and forth — and more than once I heard him say, “Miriam, I hear you, but I’m not going to do it!”