Posted on 11/13/2010 10:07:44 AM PST by MissEdie
Thought for the week: Since yesterday was Veteran’s Day, I thought this was appropriate.
Back in September, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies teacher at Robinson High School, 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. 'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?' She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you 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) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Veterans 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. Ms. Cothren 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.' By the way, this is a true story.
Thank you to all who have served and who continue to serve so that we have the freedom to get our education.
Have a great week-end!!! Judy
The tragedy in all this, is that this seems to be the exception to the norm these days.
God bless this teacher!
Sad to say, but I think this is an old undated story.
I can’t imagine a teacher being allowed and permitted to do that today.
And all those veterans in the classroom? Can you imagine all the background clearances that would have to be done to allow that?
It sounds too good to be true, but I like it anyway.
This story was first sent to me by a Marine spouse in late 2005. I think it took place in September of that year.
This is a story told by Mike Huckabee back in 2007 at CPAC about something that happened in a Military History class in 2005. So it is not that old.
See http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/s/school-desks.htm
Old or not it’s a great story. Wake those kids up to reality, not leaving them in liberal land.
Thank you both for the comments.
It’s a great story. It’s also one I could find some level of amazement it taking place in this day and age, even if five or a few more years ago.
You would think an ‘educator’ would have heard of paragraphs.
Good story, though I tend to think these ‘current’ wars aren’t wars to defend our freedoms.
The only ones who are TAKING freedoms away are the criminals in Washington.
the whole idea of defending our country made sense when the British where trying to enforce their taxes, rules, laws on us, that makes sense, to defend OUR way of life, but i know of NO arab or middle eastern country that is trying to impose their laws, taxes etc on us americans, and IF they did, (actually came over here with guns drawn THEN we would and rightly so blow them sky high) but until that happens, WE are the occupiers, WE are they terrorists in THEIR country! are we not terrorizing them? have hundreds of thousands not been murdered and way more displaced?
don’t call me a bleeding heard liberal either, thats a cop out and doesn’t make sense.
I am neither a republican or democrat they are both garbage.
I think stories like these circulate because people don’t want to let go of the idea that the mass murder that is taking place is in vain and that the brothers and sisters, moms and dads, aunts and uncles that are over there dying are a part of some humanitarian mission. GIVE ME A BREAK
I bet these people would beg to differ http://www.thewe.cc/weplanet/news/depleted_uranium_iraq_afghanistan_balkans.html
It would behoove you to watch this and ponder our actions in Iraqistan (soon to be iran)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqAF-Alc7CM
re: “the whole idea of defending our country made sense when the British where trying to enforce their taxes, rules, laws on us, that makes sense, to defend OUR way of life, but i know of NO arab or middle eastern country that is trying to impose their laws, taxes etc on us americans, and IF they did, (actually came over here with guns drawn THEN we would and rightly so blow them sky high) but until that happens, WE are the occupiers, WE are they terrorists in THEIR country! are we not terrorizing them? have hundreds of thousands not been murdered and way more displaced? don’t call me a bleeding heard liberal either, thats a cop out and doesn’t make sense.”
You sound “Code Pink” to me, but that’s just my opinion.
“I am neither a republican or democrat they are both garbage.”
So, what are you?
Sniff.
Guess you need to pay more attention then...and maybe learn about the proper use of capital letters.
I am neither a republican or democrat they are both garbage.
Nothing like painting with the broad brush you troll dirtbag.
How do you like that paintjob?
>> Old or not it’s a great story.
Old or not, there are too many bastards in public education today that are all to happy to piss on the Military.
This is no anecdote for the elusive virtues PE whatsoever.
The a-holes out West that recently prohibited the student from displaying the US Flag is an example of the crude scum in public education today.
While there are, no doubt, wonderful folks on the PE payroll, they all nonetheless march, voluntarily or not, in unison to the drumbeat of socialistic promise and entitlements.
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