Observations

Dear Campus School Families,

I have remained in touch with one of my former college professors - we meet
regularly for dinners and coffee, and it has been a real treat to maintain this
relationship. I am now older than he was when he was my teacher, and he
certainly treats me like an equal, but I cannot shake this sense that he will
always be my teacher and I will always be his student. I am guessing other
people have had similar feelings when they reconnect with former teachers -
it's simply hard to reorient that relationship, and I have sometimes wondered
why.

Perhaps it is that excellent teachers earn a mantle of authority and even power
- they can be crucially influential people in our lives, helping shape us in ways
that are long lasting. In this sense teachers are almost as influential as parents,
another relationship that is hard to redefine as children age and become adults
themselves.

All this points to the power of the teacher-student relationship - and to the
power of teaching itself. It still puzzles me that in our culture teaching is often
not accorded the respect it deserves. And this is one more reason why our lab
school, part of the college and the work of the education department, is
engaged in elevating and supporting the profession of teaching; our society
simply needs great teachers and the lasting influence they leave on their
students.

Warmly,
Chris