Linda and John taught together for over twenty years until she retired; she teaching middle school special ed, and he middle school music. I can remember Linda coming home from work at different times and telling me how wonderful John was with the special ed kids with whom he worked. I've always said it takes someone special to teach special needs children. It's not enough to pity them; they require imagination, patience, and consistency beyond what most kids need and what most people are willing to give.
Tonight we had the opportunity to talk with John again. Linda told him how impressed she had always been with the way he treated her special ed kids. "I hated every minute of it," he replied. "I wasn't trained in special ed, didn't want to do it, begged for help and got none." We were both somewhat nonplussed at this.
"But you were so good with them," Linda replied.
"I did my job," was John's response. "I did my best. I didn't have to like it, but I did it."
No one, least of all the kids, would have ever suspected he didn't like teaching special ed children. He did his job. How different is John's attitude from what we see so often; people complaining, giving a bare minimum, doing what they have to just to squeak by. I've known John a long time, have always liked him, but my opinion of him soared tonight. Integrity such as that seems rare today. He was tenured and could have coasted his way to retirement, but he was determined to do his best for the children given to him. Other teachers refused to take these kids, so John got them and he worked with them even if he didn't want to and felt he didn't know how.
I wonder how much different life would be if everyone approached their work with that kind of integrity. I've lost count of the people I personally know who are content to slide their way through life, letting others shoulder the responsibility of work and family. Tonight John did his job once more, giving his daughter in marriage to a wonderful young man, even though his own heart was breaking from the all too recent death of his wife. I am humbled and grateful to know this man, and to learn from his example what real integrity and character look like.
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