|
On Faith
Brother Greg O'Donnell
|
Learning from others becomes a timeless endeavor
"What time is it?" To answer that question, most people would look at their wristwatch and give the time of day. For me, at this point in my life, I'd answer, "It's time for a change, time to retire from what I'm doing and move on to something else."
Please allow me to share some personal thoughts with you in the hope that some shared wisdom will benefit all of us. Fifty-one years ago, I entered the Congregation of Christian Brothers. At the age of 17, I was full of enthusiasm and ready to conquer the world as a religious brother and a teacher. Four years later, I was armed with a college degree and lots of theology. Students in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, were to be the recipients of my vast talent.
I taught fifth-graders and they taught me. To this day I'm convinced I learned more than they did. I learned that Larry never told a lie and that Jerry lied all the time. I learned that a boy named Hector, who wore short pants in the fifth grade, was as tough as nails. John, a boy who was huge for his age, was a tremendous athlete and a fine student but he ran roughshod over his classmates and didn't even realize it.
My job was to teach them to read, to write, to multiply and divide. Yellowknife, Saskatoon and Thunder Bay were in the geography curriculum. We all learned that "centre" and "theatre" are the real spellings and that the word "schedule" is pronounced with a soft "c." Men like John Diefenbaker and McKenzie King are Canadian heroes and the United States did not win the War of 1812. So I was told.
There was learning that took place off campus as well. The Vancouver Sun published seven pages of hockey stories while the National Basketball Association was lucky to get a score in the paper. And yes, the Montreal Canadiens (spelled with an "e" rather than an "a") vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs is of much greater importance than the Yankees vs. Red Sox.
That single year of working with fifth-grade Canadian boys changed my life. Since that time when I'm asked "What do you teach?" my answer is not algebra or physics or history. My answer is that I teach young people and we all learn together.
When I talk about the great teachers in my life, I include the students with whom I've worked. Gary, a high school senior in Chicago, showed me how to cope with a dysfunctional family, full of domestic violence but seemingly normal to the outsider. Robert, a freshman, allowed me to share his grief when his mother and father were part of a murder-suicide. He asked me to stand beside him at the funeral service because he was afraid that family factions would physically attack each other and that my presence in a black suit and white collar would prevent the violence. That was a humbling day for me.
In my 50 years as a Christian Brother, teacher, coach and administrator, I've done a lot and learned a lot. I retired from active schoolwork today but I will continue to work with people. My plans include making myself available to the state Corrections Division as a volunteer helping in the prison system. My prayer is that I continue to teach and learn.
"What time is it?" It's time to grow and to continue learning.
Brother Greg O'Donnell retired this week as president of Damien Memorial School.