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Anthology: A Collections of Flowers by Shiva

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The Science Teacher

I met Sherry at the teachers meeting the first year I began teaching school. She was bright and cheery. During the social I got to know her.

She had learned to love science while in the 6th grade. She said that science had been her niche. She had excelled in high school and decided to dedicate her life to sharing her love of science with students. It was a dream come true that she was finally able to share that love of science that she had so long waited for. I was really impressed with her enthusiasm and determination.

The following days she and her husband brought car load after car load of science material into her new classroom. It must have taken her years to collect all of the marvelous stuff designed to demonstrate some scientific process. One of the items that impressed me the most was a seventy gallon aquarium that was sealed. The fish and plant life were in perfect balance. I marveled at it and the many exciting visual aids that she had created during her High School and College years. Her room was really something to see the first day of school.

Over the following weeks I began to watch her face start to stress out. Stories of her teaching methods were beginning to circulate and they were not positive.

One day I left my class and walked down the hall to see what was going on. I was shocked! Sherry was huddled at her desk surrounded by six students. They were intently observing one of her science experiments. The rest of the class was not involved. One boy sat near the back window smoking a cigarette, blowing smoke out the window. Two boys were standing on their desk Indian wrestling and a group of girls stood over in the corner giggling and laughing.

The Principal walked up behind me and said quietly, "It's not a pretty sight, is it?"

"No," I answered. "It really does surprise me."

"Me too," he said grimly as he walked into the room.

Two weeks later Sherry was in tears. Some of the boys had put bleach into the aquarium and killed everything!

"I don't understand it! I love science. I felt that the students would see and feel that love and learn to love it too!" She wept. "I didn't want to be mean or bossy. I just wanted to teach! Why can't I just teach!"

The next week the Principal introduced the new science teacher. Several administrators had convinced Sherry to resign. I felt sad for her. All she wanted to do was teach.

"The Science Teacher" Commentary:

A Spiritual Teacher is usually someone who just loves God. They feel, like Sherry, that all they have to do is just go into God and everyone will appreciate what they are doing. Unfortunately, going into God isn't enough. There needs to be respect and discipline.

 

   
       

 

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