I remember sitting in my classroom watching what I believe to be the struggle my students were having with the mechanics of drawing.  I hear the distinct noise of pencils as they move across the blank page.   The page becomes a testament of their personal marks, their inner life filling the once blank space.  

I wonder as I search each face, what is the internal story unfolding as they subject themselves to this process.  I see one enraptured in the sheer joy of the process, another frowns with a frustrated concentration, stretches stiff muscles and then plods along once again. 

Yet another sits apart and alone, transfixed with a point well beyond the confines of the room.  Bored?  Is she indifferent?  Could she be defiant?  Or is it, the student who appears to be so uninterested in the things that stir such passion within me, has more immediate concerns. I know she has been thrown out of her home and is probably more concerned about where she can find shelter and refuge for another night.

I walk over, and place a hand on her shoulder.  She gives a small start as she is shocked back into the here and now.   Her eyes look at me, searching at first for a reprimand, finding none, she silently seeks answers for her problems.   My mind races for a response.  I realize I have no universal answer. We hold on to the moment until we both know there are no words that speak the language of her pain. She returns dutifully to the assignment.  I return to my seat. 

            This incident haunted me for a very long time...until I witnessed a Native American man educate, enthrall, and open the minds of a captivated audience.   His high tech tool was a stick found on site, plus the wisdom of his heart.  He gave his audience a glimpse of a greater universe; those connections that help define us as individuals and human.   He showed me how to best present the wisdom of my heart to the increasingly complex young people I work with.

            Like the Native American man, I know I must undertake what is probably the second most intimate act, teaching with an open and honest heart.   A heart that may not have all the answers, but one willing to share a few steps with these confused and confusing young people on their journey to emerge as uniquely and distinctly human.  This is why it is important to teach.  This is why I teach.