Monday’s celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day was a bit subdued on the path around the Falls. Schools were in session. The U.S. Postal Service and a number of other government agencies, including all Wisconsin government offices, were closed, but in general there were no parades or speeches.
In some states, the day is a statewide holiday for all schools. Illinois schools are particularly patriotic and cancel classes for two presidents, a Revolutionary War general, the guy who is credited for discovering America, all veterans and Martin Luther King Jr.
King’s most famous speech was his “I have a dream” speech given in Washington, D.C., at the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963. It called for an end to racism and served as a major energizer for the Civil Rights Movement.
He also once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” This theme of service to others has taken on greater meaning in recent years. At least one college in Wisconsin canceled classes and encouraged students to participate in a Day of Service.
In 1994 Congress designated the day as the Martin Luther King Day of Service. The idea was that people would volunteer to make the nation a better place to live, even if their offices or agencies were closed, due to the national holiday. It was not to be a “day off,” but a “day on.”
We are not sure to what extent people who are not required to work will spend the day providing service to others, but it would be a nice gesture.
King suggested that we need to constantly ask ourselves about what we are doing for others. Although not part of the official curriculum, service to others is an important “soft skill” that is woven into many aspects of what we do in our schools.
In 1994, the same year that Congress designated the MLK Service Day, the Oconto Falls School District had a referendum to build a new elementary school on the east side of town, not too far from the high school. Although it wasn’t a big issue, there was some apprehension about the proximity of the little kids to the “big kids” at the high school.
Once the new elementary school began operations, a program in which high school students would volunteer in the elementary school was initiated. It turned out to be quite the success. Later, it included high school students mentoring at the middle school. One never knows where that could lead, but we know of one of those journeys.
Earlier this week, four of the district’s art teachers got a note from a former student, Phil Hegeman. He shared his story of never being too interested until when he was in fourth grade and one of his pictures was selected for an art show and was then featured on the cover of the community calendar. His interest grew. In later years, he served as a mentor at the middle school and was a teacher assistant in art classes.
He went on to college to major in art and is just now completing his student teaching at Watertown. He was proud to tell his former teachers that he will start a position as a full-time K-6 art teacher in the Belleville School District on Friday. He thanked the teachers for the inspiration they provided and will no doubt pass that inspiration on to the students in his classes.
The rewards of working with younger students while he was in high school must have had a lot to do with that career decision.
One of the teachers shared the story with me. I responded to the teacher, saying, “We never know how the lives we touch will be affected by our good work. We always hope for the best, and sometimes the results are beyond our wildest dreams.”
To these teachers, the answer to life’s most persistent and urgent question, “What are you doing for others?” had to be “To inspire others to follow in our footsteps.”
In any career, there can be financial rewards. There are many other kinds of rewards that can be priceless. For teachers, it can be a warm note from a former student that comes on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Categories
