To Make a Dent

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When I was eighteen and a senior in high school I read a book published by Life Magazine. In this book, the journalists interviewed celebrities, politicians, educators, and other Americans in hopes to find the meaning of life. I read through countless responses, some long, some short, some verbose, some succinct. But my favorite response came from the *then* world's highest IQ person. Her reply? To make a dent. Her simple yet profound words stayed with me and I aspired to follow suit. 

Fast forward seventeen years. 

I'm walking around my AP classroom, listening to their conversations about the writing and offering feedback and suggestions. I can't even recall what we were studying or doing but I do remember that their conversation reminded me of the to make a dent quote. So I shared the anecdote with my kids. And we moved on.

It wasn't until last night, at my kids' high school graduation, that I saw firsthand just how that brief conversation impacted their thinking. From Micaela to Drew to Heath's speeches they all spoke about making a dent within their communities, their future careers, their lives. It humbled me to realize that I don't know what my kids will take to heart, what my kids will remember, what my kids will learn. But I do know this: everything I say and -- more importantly -- do is important. 

I am a teacher, not just in words but in action. My life is a life of service, of making dents in the hearts of my students and I cannot fathom doing anything else.