On a rare hot and sunny summer day in San Francisco, I walked in the Deboce Park Café to meet up with my middle school physical education teacher. We shook hands and began to chop it up. Aside from catching up on each other’s lives, we laughed about old times when we played basketball together after school (during which he would usually win), and when he served as a substitute in my English courses. We talked about everything from politics to relationship statuses. Even though years had passed since we had last seen one another, it felt as though our relationship was still able to mature successfully.
After meeting up, I realized that rekindling our relationship was incredibly important. I had the opportunity to learn more about him as a person and human being, as opposed to just as a teacher. Learning personal things about him, such as his favorite activities, concerns, and even some of his experiences when he was my age, shifted the way in which I viewed him. I felt as though I was speaking with a friend rather than an old instructor.
As we go off into college, many of us feel that we no longer find it necessary to keep in touch with old mentors and teachers. Some people feel that high school or middle school teachers don’t have anything to teach to them, so they don’t even bother to reconnect. Or perhaps, they feel they don’t have time in their busy lives to rekindle a relationship from two or three years ago. In college, we have other stuff going on right? Homework, sports, parties, Tinder, you name it!
But what people fail to realize is the importance of these bonds that we’ve formed with our old teachers. Sure, maybe it’s been quite some time since you’ve seen your high school math teacher, but if you’ve built up rapport with them, it’s absolutely worth it to continue that relationship. These people can, and will, give you helpful life lessons. Finding out how old teachers excelled or struggled in college can go a long way in helping you choose the right path and avoid making similar mistakes. It is also incredibly important to find out ways in which they made the most of their college experience. After getting to know them on personal levels, you begin to see your teachers and mentors in a much different light than before.
Keeping in touch with old teachers and mentors can be critical when it’s finally time to get that job you’ve wanted your whole life. Simply getting a fantastic education at UO and attending graduate school is not nearly enough to have your choice of jobs these days. Networking is key, and what better way to do that than with someone who understands your strengths and weaknesses? The more teachers you attempt to keep in touch with, the more possibilities you have in cracking into the hidden job market. Perhaps you may need a letter of recommendation as well. Do you really think they can write a good one after not hearing from you for two or three years?
Moral of the story, there’s significant importance and benefits in keeping in touch with old teachers outside the classroom. No matter how long it’s been, they still have much to teach you and have valuable life experiences to pass down. Saying you’re too busy or too old shouldn’t be an excuse. The way I like to look at it is that the pieces from the past can fit to create the puzzle for the future.
Thornton: Pieces from the past
Kaneemt Thornton
October 26, 2015
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