A GREAT TEACHER WILL TURN YOUR WORLD UPSIDE DOWN

Have I mentioned that the monsters' chess teacher, although certainly not the most warm and personable fellow, has this phenomenally magical touch when it comes to calming the kids down and keeping them focused on their lesson?

They only see him once a week. For 45 minutes. And the class spans in age range and ability from 1st grade novices to 5th grade smart asses.

But, somehow, he does it. Every single time, he does it. And the thing is that I don't think he even realizes what he's got.

But the kids do. Kids always do.

This past class, the kids were starting to get a little rowdy. The holiday weekend is coming up. The sun is shining. The spring fever has been mounting since December.

So, when he could no longer keep their attention, he just stopped talking, walked over to his bag of magic tricks, and slapped a couple of magnetic chess boards underneath some metal tables in the library.

Santiago. Was. In. Pawn. Heaven.

And I just sat there, smiling from ear to ear.

This is EXACTLY what a naturally gifted teacher would do, and what ALL teachers should strive to be. Creative, innovative, and flexible, but still completely focused on teaching.

It's not about how much information you can drill into the kids in one day so that you can check it off your list. It's about HOW you get it in there so that it'll stick.

Bravo, Mr. Eric! We love you.

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