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《一杯安慰送老师(师恩难忘)》作者:[美]塞尔 译者: 张德玉 杨华

序

在坎坷的人生道路上，是谁为我们点燃了一盏最明亮的灯；在荆棘的人生旅途中，是谁甘做引路人为我们指明前进的方向……是您，老师，把雨露洒遍大地，把幼苗辛勤哺育！看这满园鲜花、遍地桃李，无不渗透着您的心血！通过本书，你将记住那位竭尽全力使学生敞开心扉的老师，那位勇于面对挑战默默无私奉献的老师，那位精心传递知识火种、帮学生到达成功彼岸的老师，那位为学生铺平人生道路的老师……他们或貌不惊人或美丽大方，或和蔼可亲或严厉至极，或沉默寡言或个性开朗，但他们内心所蕴含的殷殷真情无时无刻不感动着学生们的心灵，影响着他们的人生历程。正如爱因斯坦所说：“老师崇高的人格魅力如神奇的钥匙，唤醒我们创新的思维，开启我们求知的心房。”让我们尽情领略本书中不同教师的迥然风采吧。中国海洋大学张德玉杜敏

PREFACE

ColleenSellTheCupofComfortanthologyserieswascreatedatthedawnofthenewmillenniumtoprovideaforumbywhichordinarypeoplecouldsharetruestoriesabouttheexperiencesandpeoplethathaveinspiredthem.Myhopewasthattheseupliftingpersonalstorieswouldcreateabridgebetweenpeopleofdifferentcircumstancesandculturesbyremindingthemoftheuniversaltruthsthatmakeusallhumanandthatgiveushopeandhappiness.Itiscertainlynotanewconcept.Sincehumanbeingsfirstacquiredtheabilitytocommunicate,wehaveusedstoriestosharehumanity'smostempoweringtruthsandmostpowerfullessons.Forhundredsofthousandsofyears,theuniquelyhumangiftofstoryhasguidedandcomfortedus,connectingustoourinnerspiritsandtooneanother.AndnowthestoriesinthisbookarereachingacrosscontinentsandoceanstoconnectpeopleinNorthAmericawithpeopleinChina.TheCupofComfortauthorsandIarehumbledandhonoredbythisprivilege,andwesincerelyhopethatthesestoriesbringyoucomfortandjoy.

序言

科琳·塞尔《一杯安慰》系列丛书问世于新千年伊始。该丛书为人们提供了一个交流平台，普通人可以在这里讲述他们的真实故事，讲述感动过他们的经历和人。他们的个人经历，使人振奋，揭示了赋予我们人性、带给我们希望和快乐的普遍道理。我希望该故事丛书能为不同背景、不同文化的人们架起一座交流和沟通的桥梁。诚然，以书为桥不是一个新的概念。自从人类获得交流沟通的能力以来，我们就用故事来传播最发人深省的人生道理，传授最重要的生活经验。千万年来，故事这一非同寻常的人类礼物指引着我们人生的道路，带给我们心灵的慰籍，让我们了解自己的内心世界，是连接我们和他人之间的纽带。本书中的故事跨越了不同的大陆，飘洋过海，把北美和中国不同地域的人们连接在一起。我和《一杯安慰》的各位作者享此殊荣，不胜荣幸。我们衷心地希望书中故事给你们带去安慰和快乐。徐莉娜译

目录

WhyITeach我之所以教书APairofNothings二乘以零得几BecauseItMatters因为有必要TheFirstDay初为人师Snapshots生活小照WhatTeachingJustinTaughtMe天生我才必有用WhatINeverLearnedinKindergarten我没上过的幼儿园TheGift礼物AntBites食袜蚁GrievingtheF让人痛心的“F”ALessonLearned难忘的一课LostandFound失与得TestingMyMettle命悬一线TheresNoSubstitute没人愿意代课TheyWantedtoTeach献身教育GradeSchoolLessonsforaLifetime终生受益的小学课程TheEducatedDude少爷念过书IntheLightofaMaster老师引我前行ShowandTell表演与讲述FieldTrip田间之旅AMatterofTrust信任的力量LastDay最后一天ICantRead我不识字TheJoyofLearning乐在学中MamaMentor亦师亦母InnocenceandtheDivine童真与神圣TheBrokenHeart痛失吾爱

Why I Teach

Iknowmystudents.Massesofawkwardseventhgradersswarmthehallsofmyruralmiddleschooleachday,haulingbackpacksoveroneshoulder,talkingandshufflingalongthetilehallwayfloor①fromclasstoclass.Iwatchthemlikeageneralfrommypost(myclassroomdoor)andsmileatthefactthatIcancalleachonebyname.Iknowtheirsecrets,theirstories.Doraslouches②andisshy,andIknowitisbecauseshespendsallhertimeathometryingnottogetnoticed,soshewontfeelthebruntofherstepfathersangryhand.Jaycanpitchlikeatenthgrader,andallthegirlsswoonwhenheandhisblondhairstrutby,butIknowhedoesntreallyevenlikebaseballthatmuch(heplaysbecausehisdadwantshimto)andheistooscaredtoaskoutthegirlhelikes.ThekidsthinkKeithisjusttheclassclown,butIknowofhisdreamstobecomeanastronaut(andIverecommendedhimforspacecamp).IknowmystudentsbecauseIamtheirwritingteacher.TheytrustmewiththeirstoriesandsoIamgiventheprivilegeofhavingasecretbondwitheachandeveryoneofthem.Iteachmystudentsaboutthepowerofwords,andItrytoletthemfindreleaseandexpressionthroughwriting.Welearntotrusteachotherinwritingclassbecausewelearnhowharditistowriteopenlyandhonestly,andwelearnthatsharingyourwordstakescourage.Iseecourageeverydayinmyclassroom,andIamalwaysamazedatthewordsthatcomefrommystudentshearts.Onesuchexampleofcouragetookplaceduringauthorschair,asharingsessionattheendofourwritersworkshopinwhichstudentsvolunteertosharewhattheyhavewritten.Wehadanewstudenttotheschool,Al.Alwassmalland,withhisdimpledcheeksandbabyface,helookedyoungerthanhisclassmates.Infact,whenAlwasfirstintroducedtotheclasstwoweeksearlier,onestudentsaid,“Yourenotintheseventhgrade.Youreababy.”Tothat,Alquicklyresponded,“ImAlBillslington,andIamintheseventhgrade.”Despitehisobviouscourage,Alhadbeenwithusforonlyashortwhileandwasstilltryingtofitin,soIwasalittlesurprisedwhenhevolunteeredtoreadduringauthorschair.Ihadoneofthoseteachermoments,whenIsmiledandnoddedforhimtoread,whileinsideIsaidasilentprayerthattheotherstudentswouldnotteasethenewkidafterheread.Theroomfellsilent,andAlbegantoread.“IfIhadonewish,itwouldbetomeetmydad...”Hestartedoutloudandclearandheldtheattentionofmyusuallyrestlessseventhgradersashereadonforwhatseemedlikefifteenminutes.Hetoldofhowhehadneverknownhisfather,whohadleftthefamilywhenAlwasababy.Hesharedtheintimatedetailsofhisstrugglestobetheonlymaninthehouseatsuchayoungage,ofhavingtomowthelawnandfixbrokenpipes.Herevealedtousthethoughtsthatracedthroughhismindconstantlyaboutwherehisfathermightbeandwhyhemighthaveleft.Myeyesscannedtheroomforsnickeringfaces③ofseventhgradekidswhoIknewwerepronetojumpataweaknessandtrytocrackajoke,buttherewerenosnickers.Therewerenorollingeyesorgesturesinsinuatingboredomorpendingattacks④.Allofmyseventhgradestudentswerelistening,reallylistening.TheireyeswereonAl,andtheywereabsorbinghiswordslikesponges.Myheartwasfull.Alcontinuedon,tellingofnightmaresatnight,ofneverknowingamansoimportanttohim,yetsounreal.Icouldhearhisvoicegrowingshakyashereadsuchpassionateandhonestwords,andIsawatearrolldownoneofhisdimpledcheeks.Ilookedtotheaudience.ThereweretearsonJessicasfaceandonthefacesofafewothersseatedquietly,intentlylistening.Theyarelettinghimdothis,Ithought.Theyareallowinghimtosharesomethingheperhapshasneversharedbefore,andtheyarentjudginghimorteasinghim.Ifeltalumpinmyownthroat.Alfinished,strugglingnowtoreadhislastsentence.“IfIhadonewish,itwouldbetomeetmydad,soIwouldnt...”Histearswererollingnow,andsowereours,“...soIwouldnthavetoclosemyeyesinbedeverynightjustwonderingwhathelookslike.”Withoutanycuefromme,theclassstoodupandapplauded.Alsmiledfromeartoearastheyallrushedhimwithhugs.Iwasfloored.ThisiswhyIteach.IteachbecauseIamallowedtolearnthestoriesbehindthefaces.IteachbecauseIcanwatchkidsgrowandlaughandlearnandlove.IteachbecauseofstudentslikeAl.—WhitneyL.GradyNotes:①...shufflingalongthetilehallwayfloor:……沿着走廊的瓷砖地面慢吞吞地走着②slouch:无精打采,懒洋洋③Myeyesscannedtheroomforsnickeringfaces...:我扫视了一下屋子,寻找那些窃笑的面孔……④...insinuatingboredomorpendingattacks:……显示出厌烦或准备攻击的姿势

我之所以教书

我对我的学生们了如指掌。在我们的乡村中学里，每天一群青涩的七年级学生，肩上吊着背包，吵吵嚷嚷地，沿着走廊的瓷砖地面，慢吞吞地从一间教室走向另一间教室。我站在自己的岗位——教室门口——看着他们，仿佛一个将军在检阅自己的士兵。我为能叫出他们每个人的名字而欣喜。我知道他们的秘密、他们的故事。多拉是个无精打采而羞涩的女孩。我知道这是因为她在家时把所有时间都花在尽量不惹人注意上，以免挨上继父那愤怒的拳头。杰能像一个十年级学生一样扔棒球。当他顶着一头金发昂首走过时，女生们通常都会眩晕。但是我却知道他自己并不喜欢打棒球，只是迫于父命而已；而且他也很害怕约喜欢的女孩子出去。学生们都认为凯斯只不过是班上的小丑，可我知道他一直都梦想成为一名宇航员（同时我也把他推荐到一个太空夏令营）。我了解我的学生是因为我是他们的作文老师。他们对我敞开心扉，于是我就有了与他们分享秘密的特权。我教他们文字的力量，教他们尝试从文字中释放自己，表达自己。在作文课上我们学会了相互信任，因为我们深知：诚实、公开地写作并非易事;分享自己的语言更是需要鼓足勇气的。每天在教室里我都能看到这种勇气，也常常震惊于学生们的肺腑之言。这里就是一个考验勇气的例子。它发生在小作者讲座——“作者工作室”里学生们自愿分享文字的一个环节中。学校里新来了一个学生阿尔。他很瘦小，两个酒窝再加上一张娃娃脸，让他看起来比所有的同学都要小。事实上，两周前当阿尔第一次来到班上时，有一个同学就说:“你不应该上七年级吧，你还是个小孩呢！”阿尔当即回答说:“我叫阿尔·比尔史灵顿，我上七年级。”虽然他的勇气是显而易见的，但毕竟来到我们中间不久，还处在试着融入这个班集体的阶段。因而，当他毛遂自荐要在小作者讲座上朗读自己的作文时，我还是有点吃惊。像往常一样，我微笑着点头示意他开始朗读，内心却在为他默默地祈祷，希望其他同学不会奚落这位新来的同学。教室里安静下来，阿尔开始朗读了。“如果说我有什么心愿的话，那将是见到我的爸爸……”他的声音洪亮而清晰，在接下来的大约15分钟的朗读过程中，紧紧抓住了我那些平常就骚动不安的七年级学生的心。他讲述了自己从未见过父亲的原因：在他还是个孩子的时候父亲就离家出走了。他与大家分享了一些隐私的细节，如自己如此年轻，就为成为家里唯一的男人而努力，再如刈草坪和修理下水管道等。他还透露出自己心里一直有着父亲究竟在哪里，以及他为什么离开的疑问。我环视了一下屋子，寻找那些窃笑的面孔。因为，我深知，这些七年级学生习惯拿别人的弱点来开心、作乐。但是并没有人笑。我很欣慰地看到，没有人左顾右盼或作出显示厌烦或准备攻击的姿势。所有人都全神贯注地听着。他们看着阿尔，像海绵吸水一般不放过每一句话。我心满意足。阿尔继续朗读着，述说自己的那些噩梦，述说自己从来没有感觉到一个男人对自己来说如此地重要，而离自己又如此地遥远。当他读着如此打动人心而又真诚的话语时，我能感到他的声音越来越颤抖，还看到一颗泪珠从他那挂着酒窝的脸颊上滑落。我看了看观众，只见杰希卡和其他几个坐在那里静听的孩子的脸上也泪光滢滢。“他们允许他这么做。”我想。“他们允许他分享一些可能从来没有分享过的东西，并且他们并没有看不起他、嘲笑他!”我哽咽了。阿尔快结束了，正费力地朗读最后一句话。“如果说我有什么心愿的话，那将是见到我的爸爸，那么我就不会——”他已经泪如雨下，我们也一样。“那么我就不会每晚躺在床上，想像他的模样了。”在没有我任何指示的情况下，全体同学站起来开始鼓掌。当大家纷纷跑上前去拥抱他的时候，阿尔会心地笑了。这便是我之所以教书的原因。之所以教书，是因为我可以了解到那些面孔下面隐藏的故事；是因为我可以看着孩子们成长、欢笑、学习和友爱；更是因为那些像阿尔一般的孩子们。——惠特尼·L·葛拉德

A Pair of Nothings

IheldmybreathasIwatchedmybrothersfingertracethroughthenewspaperlistingofteachersassignedtothirdgraders.Isqueezedmyeyesshuttight①.Please,please,dontletitbeMissBall.“MissBall.”Mybrotherswordshitmelikeapunchtothestomach.Wasntitbadenoughthatthirdgradershadtolearntheirmultiplicationtables②beforetheycouldpasstofourthgrade?NoonewantedtobeinMissBallsclasstodoit.Shewasscary.Accordingtomyfather,MissBallsbadlyscarredfacewastheresultofsmallpoxinheryouth.Knowingthecausedidntdiminishtheeffect.Tallandslender,witheyesasblackandshinyasonyxandleanfingersthatcouldsnaplikearifleshot,shewasthemostintimidatingfigure③ontheentiresecondfloor.ThatSeptemberIdraggedmynewlyshodfeetintoclass,completelydemoralizedbymyclassassignment④.Withsuchasterndemeanor⑤,MissBallwouldhaveevenlessofasenseofhumorthantheteachersIdexperiencedpreviously.Notoleranceforacreativeimaginationinherclass.Ipreparedmyselftohateeveryminuteofthenextninemonths.Readingwasthefirstclass.Abreezeforme.MyolderbrotherDoughadtaughtmetoreadwhenIwasfour.Geographywasasnap,too.Samewithhistory.Whenwecamebacktotheclassroomafterlunchrecess,thereitwasontheblackboard:thefirstrowofthedreadedmultiplicationtable.The“zerotimes.”Theschoolchiligurgledinmystomach.Bytheendoftheday,wewouldberepeatingthenumbersinthatmindlessprisonerofwarstyleIhadlearnedtoresentfrommyfirstdayoffirstgrade.Iplantedmyfaceonmyfists.Zerotimeszeromadesense.Icouldevenacceptonetimeszero.ButIhadtoquestionwhytwotimeszerowasstillzero.Iwasjustafarmkid,butIknewwhenyouhadtwoofanythingyouhadsomething.Myhandshotup,wagging.“Doesntthattwomeananything?”MissBallstaredatme,herblackeyesunreadable.Myclassmatesstaredatme.Iheldmybreathuntilmyvisionblurred.Maybeitreallywaspossibletoslithertothefloorandsinkintooneofthecracksbetweenthosewornhardwoodslats.ThenMissBalldidsomethingbeyondmyrealmofexperience.Shesmiled.Agentlesmile.Notthatevilsmileteachersgetwhentheysenseasmartaleckintheclass.Idexpectedreproach.WhatIgotwasgoosebumps⑥.Thiswasdefinitelynewterritoryforme.Noweveryonewasstaringatthewomanatthefrontoftheroomandnotatme.Icouldbreatheagain.Sheturnedtotheblackboardanddrewalargerectangle,whichshedividedintohalves.“This,”shesaid,pointingtotheblankinterioroftheleftblock,“isanothing.Azero.”Nextshegesturedtoincludebothportionsofthedividedrectangle.“Andthesearetwonothings.Class,whatdoyougetwhenyouhaveonenothingandonenothing?”“Nooothiiing,MiiissBaaall.”IstaredatthatdividedrectanglelongafterMissBallandmyclassmateshadmovedontodiscussotherzeroes.Ablankdomino⑦.Apairofnothings.Iwantedtohugmyselfwithdelight.Atlast,ateacherwhocouldillustrateapoint,whocouldmakemevisualizeratherthanmerelysaying,“Justbecause.”Evenbackthen,beforeanalysisoflearningbehaviorbecamepopular,shewasperceptiveaboutsomestudentslearningbetterthroughvisualaidsandreinforcementratherthanauditoryinstruction.Inlaterlessons,whenherpersonalstockofcoloredchalkappeared,IdiscoveredMissBallcoulddrawfloweringtreeswithnestshidinginthem,cloudswithexoticbirdsflyingaroundthesky,andraysofsunshineandripplingwaterwithlilypadsthatlookedreal.Shecouldwritepoems,too.Shortpoemswithexcitingnewwordsthatexpandedmyvocabularyandmyhorizons.MissBallwasakindredsoul.Acreativesoul.Abeautifulsoul.Laterintheyearaboxappearedontheactivitytable.Itwasfullof3by8inchcards.Oneachcardwasaword.Onthebackofthecardwasthedefinitionofthatword.Nothinginmyeducationtothatpointhadeverstrucksuchasparkofexcitement.Wordsweresomeofmymostfavoritethingsintheworld.Ifoundwordsfascinating,notsomuchthesoundstheymadewhenyouspokethemastheirappearance,theirmeanings,howtheycouldbeemployedinasentencetoaltermeanings.Thesewereallnewwords,bigones,250ofthem.Thiswasnotthevocabularyyoulearnedonthefarm.Notasingledomesticanimalresidedintheirmidst.Theboxrepresentedthelexiconofjournalists,scholars,andphilosophers.Likeanewkidinclass,thewordsbecamemyfriends.Icopiedthem,playedwiththem,andintroducedthemintomyconversation.And,likeanyothereightyearold,ImsureImistreatedthemonoccasion.Ihardlynoticedthatnoneofmyclassmatessharedmyenthusiasm.Thewordsweremycompanionsonthebaseballfieldandplaygroundaswellasinthelibraryandtheclassroom.TearsstungmyeyesthatfinaldaywithMissBall.Ihadmoretolearnfromthiswonderfulteacher.Shehadsomuchmoretoteach.Thereweremoreboxesfullofthosemusical,magicalnewwords.FiftyyearshavepassedsinceIsatbehindthatoldwoodendeskwithnotchesandinitialscarvedbygenerationsofstudentsanddarkenedwithdecadesofvarnish,ink,andgrime.Ofallmyteachers,IrememberMissBallmost,notforherflawedcomplexionandintimidatingdemeanor,butforherabilitytosparktheimaginationofadirtpoor,pigtailedcountrygirl.ThankstoMatildaBall,thedesiretolearnburnsasbrightlyformetodayasitdidwhenshedrewthatsimplewhitechalkrectanglefilledwithapairofnothings.—KathleenEwingNotes:①Isqueezedmyeyesshuttight．我紧紧闭上眼睛。②multiplicationtable:乘法表③themostintimidatingfigure:最令人感到恐怖的身影④...completelydemoralizedbymyclassassignment:……被课堂作业整得筋疲力尽。demoralize，意为“泄气、沮丧”。⑤sterndemeanor:严酷的举止。demeanor，指“举止、风度”。⑥goosebump:鸡皮疙瘩⑦ablankdomino：一个空白的多米诺骨牌。多米诺骨牌：一个小长方木头或塑料块儿，其面分两半，每半或者空白或者刻有一到六个类似于骰子上的点。

二乘以零得几

报纸上列出了教三年级学生的老师名单，哥哥正在查找。看着他的手指在报纸上划过，我紧闭双眼，屏住了呼吸。拜托，拜托，千万别是鲍老师……“鲍老师。”哥哥的话如一拳打在胃上，给了我重重一击。三年级的学生在升入四年级之前必须学乘法表，这还不算糟糕吗？没人想进鲍老师班学乘法。她让人望而却步。听父亲讲，鲍老师的脸之所以疤痕累累，是因为早年得过天花。可就算知道了原因也还是不能减少对她的恐惧。她又高又瘦，眼睛如缟玛瑙般黑亮，细指如子弹般活动敏捷。整个二楼，她最让人害怕。那年九月，我拖着新鞋进了教室，对班级的分配失望透顶。我想：鲍老师外表那么严厉，肯定比以前的老师缺乏幽默感，她的课堂上不会容得下富于创造力的想像的。我已经做好准备——接下来的九个月在憎恨中度过每一分钟。第一堂课是阅读，这对我来说轻而易举。在我四岁的时候哥哥就教过我了。地理、历史也都是小菜一碟。可是吃过午饭回到教室，我们就发现黑板上写着那可恶的乘法表第一行的内容——零的倍数。吃的辣椒开始在肚子里咯咯作响。我想，天黑之前我们就得像囚犯一样重复这些数字了。打我上一年级的第一天起，对此就十分怨恨。我把脸伏到了拳头上。零零得零讲得通，我甚至可以接受一乘零得零。但我不得不问，为什么二乘零还是零？我是个乡下孩子，但我知道任何东西当你有了两个便不会感到一无所有。我摇摇晃晃地举起了手。“难道这个二没有意义吗？”鲍老师盯着我，目光不可捉摸。同学们也都盯着我。我屏住了呼吸，直至视线变得模糊。也许我应该滑到地上，在那些破裂的硬木板上找个缝钻进去。鲍老师接下来的做法出乎我的意料。她笑了，和蔼的笑，而不是坏笑。我原以为她会责备我，因而起了一身鸡皮疙瘩。这对我来说绝对新鲜。每个人都把目光转向教室前面这个女人，我又能呼吸了。她转向黑板画了一个大大的矩形，并分成两半。她指着左半边矩形的空白部分说：“这什么也没有，是个零。”接着她又指向矩形的两半，“这是两个零，同学们，如果给你一个零后再给你一个零，你们会得到什么？”“零，鲍老师！”大家异口同声地回答。我盯着这个被分成两半的矩形思忖良久，而鲍老师和其他同学早去讨论其他的零了。一副空白的多米诺骨牌，两个零。一个老师用图形的阐释给了我直观的感受，而不仅仅告诉我“没有为什么”。在有关学习行为的分析还不流行的时候，她已经感觉到，对某些学生而言，直观的辅助物比单纯的讲授更有利于他们的学习。在后来的课上，鲍老师不时地拿出她的彩色粉笔。我发现她能绘出树木开满鲜花，鸟巢隐匿其中；能绘出天空布满云朵，奇异的鸟儿飞翔；还能绘出明媚的阳光下荷叶漂浮的、泛着涟漪的水面。在她的笔下，这一切都栩栩如生。她还能写诗，很短的诗，那些令人激动的新词丰富了我的词汇，也开阔了我的视野。鲍老师是一个富于创造力的人，一个美丽的人。后来，活动课桌上放了一个盒子，里面全是八英寸长三英寸宽的卡片，每个卡片上都有一个词。以往的学习中从来没什么能让我如此兴奋。文字是世界上我最喜欢的东西之一。这些都是新词、大词，共有250个。这不是在农场能学到的，没有一个是关于家畜的，而是记者、学者和哲学家们的措辞。这些词就像班里的新同学，成了我的朋友。我抄写它们、摆弄它们，并将它们用于日常谈话中。像任何一个八岁的孩子一样，我肯定有时也会用错。但我沉浸在自己的喜悦里，几乎没注意到根本没有同学分享我的热情。无论在棒球场、操场，还是在图书馆、教室，这些词都是我的伙伴。当我最后一天见鲍老师时，泪水刺痛了我的双眼。我还有好多东西没向这位好老师学习，而她也有好多东西还没教给我们。还有好多盒卡片，写满了悦耳的神秘的文字。曾几何时，我在那张旧课桌上学习，上面布满了一届届学生留下的刻痕，积年累月的清漆、墨水、尘垢早已使其黯然失色。如今50年过去了，在所有教过我的老师中，我对鲍老师的记忆最清晰，不是因为她面目可憎、为人严厉，而是因为她触发了一个扎着小辫的乡下穷孩子的无尽的想像。感谢鲍老师，当她用白粉笔画下那个由两个零组成的简单的矩形时，强烈的求知欲便在我心中点燃，直至今日仍不熄灭。——凯瑟琳·艾温

Because It Matters

Highschoolwasprettyeasyforme,andIwasntalone.Everyoneinthehonorsprogramtypicallycruisedthroughourclasseswithoutbreakingasweat.ThefirstmonthofhonorsAmericanhistoryclassdidnothingtochallengethatexpectation.Sure,wehadasubstitutefromthefirstdayon,butthosefirstfourweeksofmemorizingnamesanddateswereaseasy,andasboring,aswedallexpected.Mr.Kingcamebackjustintimetogiveusthefirsttest.Hewasasight.Hedhadaseriousboutwithhepatitis①andwasstillfrailandjaundicedfrommonthsspentrecovering.Hisvoicewasjustaboveawhisper,buthespokewithdignityandprecision.Evenifhehadnt,wewouldhavebeenrivetedbyhisdiscussionoftheresultsofthatfirsttest.Afterall,wewerehonorsstudents②.Thequestion,though,wasntwhetherwedreceivedanA;thequestionwaswhogotthehighestscore.TheanswerinthiscasewasmyfriendPaulLarick.Paulwasfiercelyintelligentandfiercelycompetitive.HeallowedhimselftogrinasMr.Kingbeganwith,“Mr.Larick,youearnedthehighestgradeonthefirsttest.”HissmilevanishedwhenMr.Kingwentontosay,“YouearnedaD.”Mr.Kingpausedtoglancearoundtheroom,andtorest,beforespeakingagain.“Therestofyou,”hesaid,“didnotdosowell,earningDminusesorbelow.”“But—”someonesaid.“Thatsnotfair!”someoneelsecried.“Butyoutestedusonthingswehadntstudied,”athirdpersontried.Idontrememberwhosaidthesethings.Itwasntme.Iwastoostunnedtospeak.Mr.Kinglookedatus.“Theworkyousubmitted,”hewhispered,“wasnothonorsquality.”Mr.Kingwasnotunfair.Hethrewoutallgradesforthefirsttest.Hewasnotunkind.Thatwasthelasttimeheeverdiscussedgradespublicly.Andhewasnotwithoutasenseofhumor.Heopenedeachclasswithaninvitationof,“Doesanyonehaveagoodjoke?”andclosedclasswith“Questions?Comments?Obscureconundrums③?”Whensomeonesharedagoodjoke,heoftenlaughedsohardhefellover.Whensomeoneofferedagoodconundrum,hesaluteditsdifficulty.ButwhatMr.Kingwasnot,finally,waseverunclearabouthisstandards,andthatwasashocktous.WewereallsousedtogettingAsasamatterofcoursethatwetriedeverystrategyinthebooktoswayMr.King.“Yougradedmypaperdownforgrammarandspelling.ThisisntanEnglishclass,”oneofuswouldwhine.Mr.Kingwouldpeeratusthroughor,ifhewasparticularlytesty,overhisglassesandsay,“PerhapsIshouldspeakwithMr.FroelichaboutwhatyourelearninginhisEnglishclasses.Ifyouapplyyourskillsonlyintheclassesinwhichtheyarestudied,whatgoodarethey?”Iremembertryingonesuchwhine.“Whatdoyoumean,mythesisisntsupported?Isntmyideaoriginal?”Unblinkingeyesgazedatmethroughapairofheavyglasses.“Thosetwopointsarenot,asItrustyouknow,related.Yourideaisquiteoriginal.Daring,even.Nowyouneedtosupportit.”Bitter,Itriedagain.“ItwouldhavebeengoodenoughinmyhonorsEnglishclass.”“Well,itsnotgoodenoughhere.”Mr.Kingspokequietly,tokeepthematterprivate.Myanswerwaslouder,anattempttoenlisttheentireclassbehindme.“Well,whyisntitgoodenough?”“Becausemysubjectmatterisimportant,”hesaid.“Becauseitisdesperatelyimportantforyoutolearnyourcountryshistory—notjustthenamesanddates,butthelawsanddebatesbehindthelaws,theireconomicimplications,andwhattheperiodperspectiveswere.Becauseitisdesperatelyimportantforallofyoutobeabletoformacogent,wellsupportedargumentthatyoudeliverinclear,grammaticallycorrectprose.”Hehadtorestthen,buthewentonwhenhecould.“Thisisschool,butifthatsallitis,itsworthless.Mystandardsarehighbecausethismatters.”Afterthat,Iwouldhavefollowedhimanywhere—andIwouldhavekilledtogetanAinthatclass.Butthat,too,wouldhavebeentheeasywayout.Instead,Ihadtowork.Wehadfourtextbooksfortheclass—economic,diplomatic,andmilitaryhistoriesaswellasastandardoverallhistoryoftheUnitedStates.Wealsousedprimarysources.Welearnedthatjustbecauseanessaytestwastimed,thatdidntmeanonecouldcastasideathesisstatementorgoodorganization.Welearnedhistory,butwealsolearnedtoresearch,towrite,andtoreason.AndbecauseMr.Kingdidnotplayfavoritesandhadreasonsforallofhisgradingcriteria,welearnedtwomorethings.Welearnedtostopthinkingofgradesassomethingpersonalandinsteadtousethemtomeasureourperformanceofagiventask.Andwelearnedthevalueofrigorintheserviceofanimportantgoal.TheselessonswereunderscoredbyMr.Kingsfrailhealth.IneveryotherclassIdhadinwhichaninstructorfellill,theclasshadbeenmadeeasier,allowingteacherandstudentstocoast.EverytimeMr.Kingstooduptoexplainsomethingorheldapositionwhenchallenged,theeffortwasvisibleanditunderscoredthatprimaryexplanationofhisrigor:becauseitmatters.Ididntbecomeateacheruntilyearslater,butwhenastudentaskedaquestionlateonesemester,IrealizedhowmuchMr.Kinghadinfluencedme.“Hey,didyouknowweredoingmoreworkinthisclassthantheyredoinginotherfreshmenEnglishclasses?”astudentasked.“Yes,”Isaid.“Bymyestimate,youredoingthirtytofortypercentmoreworkinthisclassthantheothersectionsaredoing,andyoureheldtohigherstandards.”“Youknewthat?”heasked.“Butwhy?”Ratherthanansweringdirectly,Iwavedahand.“Picksomeone.Anyone.”Mystified,hepointedhesitantlyatoneofhisclassmates.“Doyoulikewriting?”Iasked.“No,”hesaid.Thefirststudentwinced④.Ishookmyheadinagreement.“Neverturnawayfromhonesty.Now,thekeyquestions:Doyoulikeitmorethanyoudid?Andareyoubetteratit?”“Yes,”hesaid.“Iusedtohateit.Now,itsokay,andItutortheguysinmyfratonhowtowritepapers.”Inodded.“Picksomeoneelse.”Hedid,andwerepeatedtheprocess.Somelovedwriting;somelikedit;somestillhateditbutwereteachingtheirfriendstowrite.Allhadimproved.Ireturnedthequestiontothestudentwhohadaskedthequestion.“So,whyareyouheldtohigherstandardsinthisclass?”“Sowelllearnwhatweneedto,”hesaid.“Exactly,”Isaid,“becauseitmatters.”Iwentontoexplainwhytheyneededtobeabletoreasonandtoarticulatetheirthoughtsandopinions⑤,butitwasntmyexplanation.ThewordsIspokewereJamesKingswords,tumblingouthalfwayacrossthecountryandmanyyearslater.Andtheywerestilltrue.—GregBeattyNotes:①hepatitis:肝炎②honorsstudent:优等生③obscureconundrum:难题④wince:畏缩,退缩⑤...toarticulatetheirthoughtsandopinions:……说出他们的想法和观点