Getting On-Task (Mile 8)

I've written several entries that are dedicated to teachers.  I believe that speaks to the influence of teachers in my life.

The past week has been very difficult for me.  I had an.. um, running related injury and ended up in severe pain 5 miles away from my car.  I spent the next six days doing the bare minimum of physical activity necessary and lost my drive to run.  When I thought of running, words such as "stressful" and "exhausting" instead of "peaceful" and "strengthening" came to mind.  I was most certainly off-task.

Mr. Lee was a very special teacher.  He taught American history and his pride was his Advanced Placement class that was offered to juniors.  He gave many students their first taste of what a college class is like with his quick pace, his lengthy assignments, and his great expectations.  He took joy when his students succeeded and responsibility when his students lagged behind.  He was well known for his personal catch phrases such as "off-task," "on-task," and, after reproving a student, "Still a good kid, though." He was successful in taking a student's energy and capabilities and funneling it into something positive.  He never let a student settle for less than his or her best.

Another thing I think about when I remember Mr. Lee is the fact that he would open up his classroom to students at lunch time.  Students of all social groups could come eat their lunch, play chess, and be mentored (whether they realized it or not).  His job as a teacher never ended when the bell rang.

Now that my week of being benched is over, it's time to get back on-task. Starting back up is very difficult, but I know Mr. Lee wouldn't accept anything but my very best.  I would have already told him it wasn't possible for me to run 13 miles and he would have already told me I just wasn't trying hard enough, however, he still thinks I'm a good kid.  Mile 8 will be for Mr. Lee.