One of the last episodes of Saved By the Bell (and I should know because I own all of them on DVD...which shouldn't come as a surprise by now) is a strange "time capsule" episode where a group of new Bayside students discover a video from Zack and the gang describing their years at Bayside. Its basically a series of flashbacks and favorite memories from each character (but why isn't anyone else in their graduating class in the video...what, the six of them are the only students that matter?...but I digress). To many, this may seem like a pointless episode, one only made to fulfill an entire season, and simply a "look back" before the graduation episode. But I have to admit, it is one of my favorite episodes because it reminds me of all the moments that made Saved By the Bell great.
It may very well be the history teacher in me, but I enjoy reminiscing about the past. My wife and I will sometimes find ourselves talking about our time of dating and courtship to revel in how everything came together so perfectly for us. I can easily get lost in looking at family photos of my kids as they've grown up and instantly the memories those pictures capture come flooding to my mind. I keep every card or note any student has ever written me so that I can re-read them for encouragement or for plain old sentimental reasons.
The other night, while my wife and I were at Disneyland for a date night, I ran into a former student of mine from six years ago (she spotted me as we waited in line for Space Mountain...remember when Mario Lopez used to do the video instructions for that ride?...anyways, her yelling "Mr. Harp" certainly got me to turn around). She's in college now, but it seems like just yesterday she was a little 7th grader in my world history class. That's how I feel about all of my former students whether they come back to visit or I see their updates on Facebook...weren't they just sitting in my classroom the other day? When did they grow up? How did they become these young adults all of a sudden, embarking on their futures? (it also makes me feel a little old, but that's beside the point)
This reflection always makes me wonder what impact I have made on my students. Did I make a difference in their life for the one or two years they were in my class? Was I a positive influence and role model for them? Sure a lot of my former students remember my games/activities and the "fun" we had in class, but I hope that there's more than that. You see, like many teachers, I didn't go into this profession for the money (shocking, right?) or for fame, or even because of an intense love of history. I wanted to be a teacher to influence the younger generation. To leave them with an idea of how education and learning can be fun. To help them discover their passions and gifts. To develop their abilities to lead and work as a team. In short, I hope to inspire them, through my words and actions, to be better people. That means more to me than whether or not they remember ancient empires or antebellum America. Who cares if they passed my class or a state test if they're not a better young man or woman?
I may never find out if I make this difference. I don't get to hear from most of the students I have had in the past. For every random Disneyland run-in, there is another couple of dozen students that I have no idea what they are up to and where they are headed. I unfortunately don't get to be there to see the flowers that are my students grow and blossom. But its still an important job to plant the seeds.
