You notice, in the 1912 photograph of Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe, that he wears two different shoes. It seems that earlier in the day, Mr. Thorpe discovered his own shoes had been stolen. He found two shoes in the trash and slipped them on. One of the shoes required extra socks, as well.
Then, he went on to win two gold medals, one in the pentathlon, winning four of the five strangely conglomerated events. Now, we know that Jim Thorpe was racially profiled in the games (He was a Native American.), but the fact that he could run in two different shoes and extra socks should be a lesson to learners everywhere.
When I headlined this commentary, I thought I was going to write about the need for students to come prepared with the appropriate equipment for learning - including an appropriate attitude for struggle and perseverance - but upon considering Jim Thorpe's story, my focus soon changed.
You see, Mr. Thorpe was unprepared. He knew what he needed, but he didn't have what it took to run a race against the world. Isn't that the way we often find ourselves as we try to learn new things? Oftentimes we don't know what we need. We don't know where we're going. We haven't stretched. We don't even know how to train.
Students are like that, aren't they? They come to us with insufficient training; they're not ready for what we have to impart. But that doesn't stop us. That shouldn't stop you. Student, even when you feel like you can't and never will, you simply must toe the line. Find some shoes, chock them into the starting block, and run when you hear the horn. I'm not even interested in winning the race. I'll be more impressed if you face the unknown. Don't give up on yourself before you ever get started.
It's OK that you don't have the proper "shoes" (By shoes, of course, I mean whatever it is you need.); that's why I'm called a teacher. Your lack of preparation means I get to do what I'm paid to do. We simply need to start moving forward. It's not always easy, but we work on these things together.
Then, he went on to win two gold medals, one in the pentathlon, winning four of the five strangely conglomerated events. Now, we know that Jim Thorpe was racially profiled in the games (He was a Native American.), but the fact that he could run in two different shoes and extra socks should be a lesson to learners everywhere.
When I headlined this commentary, I thought I was going to write about the need for students to come prepared with the appropriate equipment for learning - including an appropriate attitude for struggle and perseverance - but upon considering Jim Thorpe's story, my focus soon changed.
You see, Mr. Thorpe was unprepared. He knew what he needed, but he didn't have what it took to run a race against the world. Isn't that the way we often find ourselves as we try to learn new things? Oftentimes we don't know what we need. We don't know where we're going. We haven't stretched. We don't even know how to train.
Students are like that, aren't they? They come to us with insufficient training; they're not ready for what we have to impart. But that doesn't stop us. That shouldn't stop you. Student, even when you feel like you can't and never will, you simply must toe the line. Find some shoes, chock them into the starting block, and run when you hear the horn. I'm not even interested in winning the race. I'll be more impressed if you face the unknown. Don't give up on yourself before you ever get started.
It's OK that you don't have the proper "shoes" (By shoes, of course, I mean whatever it is you need.); that's why I'm called a teacher. Your lack of preparation means I get to do what I'm paid to do. We simply need to start moving forward. It's not always easy, but we work on these things together.
