If this would only sink in!

[tom41]

These students learned a lesson that day they won't soon forget!



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, second 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 understand, 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."

How true, and how "soon" forgotten by some

[ChuckD]

Very True Good Point

[boylanag]

Tom, that is great. Thanks for sharing this important information. God Bless America. - Jim

[Waynem]

Thanks Tom. From a retired Marine.

Semper Fi!

[scductman]

Thanks Tom. This is by far the greatest country on GODS earth. bobby

[PartyCrashers]

Wow! put, goose pimple on my arms...Thanks for sharing and making me remember.

[Delaine and Lindy]

That is one of the most powerful lessons I have ever read about. And it's so very TRUE, a lot of kids today take everything for granted. But there's also a lot of adults that do the same. I am a Retired (26 yrs, 22 days) but it really cause me to choke up a little. That teacher is a wonderful and very intelligent LADY, May GOD bless and keep her, this country needs many more like her. GBY....

[Wifeofdano]

That's the best thing I've read in a long time.
Great teacher. How do we get that message to everyone?
I'll start by emailing it to all I know.

[skypilot]

What's that saying 'To be able to learn to read and write, thank a teacher, for being able to learn it in English, Thank a Soldier (Marine, Sailor, Airman, i.e. any service member!!! )!!'

[Waynem]

quote:Originally posted by Wifeofdano

That's the best thing I've read in a long time.
Great teacher. How do we get that message to everyone?
I'll start by emailing it to all I know.

This is a true story. If you email it to 5 people, who in turn email it to 5 people, and who in turn email to 5 people, after the 13th iteration of email it will have exceeded the population of the Earth:
e.g.,
5X5=25
5X25=125
5X125=625
etc.

13th iteration = 30,517,578,125 people emailed.

So pass this link around:

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/nodesks.asp

[HughM]

God Bless America and the U.S. Military. As a Army vet I still get choked up when I see a big American flag waving in the wind.
Hugh

[MelsJoy]

Now that's an engaging Teacher! What a story! I thought it would be nice to see some photos perhaps in some of the local newspapers, but no-one had any. I did find a lot of articles about it, but alas no photos.

We need more teachers like her in our schools. Hooray for Martha!

Joy