REMINDING A TEACHER

My husband is a teacher at one of the high schools in the Pflugerville Independent School District and has all the qualities of an exceptional teacher. He realizes the importance of teaching, really likes the students, facilitates success in his classroom, and each day he is at school he takes on the positive role of mentor.

His son, Daniel, is an engineer and a Captain in the Army. During his 2nd tour of duty in Iraq he was stationed at Camp Taji. He was the Assistant Brigade Engineer and was coordinating efforts to build a fire station for the Iraqi people. He needed information to determine the best location for the station and through several emails he was put in touch with an official at the Austin Fire Department.

Daniel received an email from this official with the necessary information. At the end of the email he had added, “Your last name is Seiter, does your father live in Austin? There was a teacher by the same last name at my son’s high school?” Daniel wrote back, “Yes, that’s my dad”. I know in the mathematics of statistics there are no coincidences or small worlds, but, what a small world.

The return email to Daniel detailed just how important his dad, the teacher, had been in his son’s life. The direction his child had received, the influence it had had on him and the successes he way now enjoying because of it. “Your dad had such a big influence on my son.”

Daniel called with pride to tell his dad this story and his dad’s heart swelled as he listened. I have always told my husband that teachers don’t often get to see the fruits of their labor or know just how they impact their student’s lives. But, this teacher has just been reminded.