The month of September preludes the scholastic year. A huge influx of students, of every age, academic institution and standard, return to their learning seats. Teachers, facilitators and administrative workers prepare themselves to meet the expectations of those they are called to serve to the best of their abilities. In a nutshell, it is very apt to reflect on this useful, intriguing and challenging phenomenon called “back to school”.
Oftentimes, and rightly so, many parents complain that the academic workload of their children exceeds their limit. Although this is true, life continually teaches us the hard lesson to “make the best of a bad situation”, meaning do as well as possible under conditions that are not satisfactory. For you dear students a word of wisdom from Dr James G. Bilkey: “You never will be the person you can be if pressure, tension and discipline are taken out of your life”. Furthermore, remember that life’s pressures give you a golden opportunity to mature at an early age, as the Canadian journalist and author Robertson Davies put it: “Students today are a pretty solemn lot. One of the really notable achievements of the 20th century has been to make the young old before their time”. Be courageous and sail in the open seas of learning, always keeping alive in your creative minds and zealous hearts Samuel Johnson’s aphorism: “Your aspirations are your possibilities”.
Having been a teacher myself before joining the Franciscan Capuchin Order 16 years ago, I must say that I have a soft spot for teachers. To you, dear teachers, I want to present two suggesting excerpts taken from the Ammas (or Mothers) of the Desert. Amma Theodora says: “A teacher ought to be a stranger to the desire for domination, vainglory and pride; one should not be able to fool him (or her) by flattery, nor blind him (or her) by gifts, nor conquer him (or her) by the stomach, nor dominate ... by anger; but he (or she) should be patient, gentle and humble as far as possible; he (or she) must be tested and without partisanship, full of concern and a lover of souls”. The latter invites you, as teachers, to grow in the teaching virtues (among others) of wisdom, prudence, humility, gentleness, patience, justice, self-sacrifice, fairness, and dedication.
Time and experiences of all sorts have the capacity of building up a teacher through habitual self-reflection, possibly with a mentor. The saying of Amma Syncletia seems to point in this direction. “It is dangerous for anyone to teach who has not first been trained in the ‘practical’ life. For if someone who owns a ruined house receives guests there, he does them harm because of the dilapidation of his dwelling. It is the same in the case of someone who has not first built an interior dwelling; he causes loss to those who come” .A genuine teacher is the one who through continuous formation, which includes reading, attending courses and seminars, and, most of all, going to supervision, is being formed into that “interior dwelling” of knowledge, wisdom and spirituality and, as a result, will then help her/his students to build up their own inner houses of human and spiritual integrity.
I heartily encourage all of you, dear teachers and students, to do the best you can in order to reach your teaching and learning goals.
If you happen to fail, as all humans do, do not create a drama. Remember, “no one who cannot rejoice in the discovery of his own mistakes deserves to be called a scholar”. Moreover, since both of you are students in progress, take Robert Martin’s advice on board: “Responsibility for learning belongs to the student, regardless of age”. We, as citizens of this country, keep supporting your attempts in cultivating and actuating your innate ability of ongoing learning.
May God bless you all! Now back to school!
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap