For Christmas, he gave his Columbus teachers a priceless gift for changing his life

Sometimes teachers have no idea what kind of impact they are making in the lives of students.

They often walk into their classrooms unaware, questioning whether their lesson plan is even a drop in the bucket to what kids need. Then, at the end of the day, they drive home praying they made a difference, but realizing they might not ever know.

In public school classrooms, most teachers survive off intrinsic motivators, often relying on reassuring voices in their hearts. “Yes, you did well today” or “Hey, nice lesson. I think the kids really understood” or “Wow, whatever you did with Johnny really helped. He wasn’t as wild today.”

That’s OK, because occasionally, a thank you walks through the door and rejuvenates their engines to give them enough oomph to keep going. A surprise visit from a former student covers a multitude of thankless days, and there’s no better gift a teacher can receive.

Most times, these visitors don’t have spectacular, sentimental speeches prepared to express the epiphanies they had when real life happened and they realized what their teachers had been telling them for so long was true. They just sit and chat with us. But we know the real reason they come.

A former student, Bryan, came for a visit before Christmas break, but his visit was different. He did have a sentimental speech prepared. He came explicitly to say thank you to all of his teachers.

Bryan is one for the WIN column. When I taught him during his sophomore year, his name was notorious around school, and he was on a dangerous path toward a future behind bars. But for some reason, Bryan and I had a rapport, and he worked in my class, was nice in my class, and was respectful in my class. I know teachers aren’t supposed to have favorites, but Bryan was mine.

He disappeared for a while that year, and I never knew why.

His junior year was much of the same – struggles. He was on the fragile bubble between breaking the cycle and falling victim to it. But something triggered in Bryan’s mind his senior year. As a young father of two, Bryan was jarred into the reality that a high school diploma was a necessity. So, with a ton of credit recovery and extra work, Bryan got his diploma.

He looked like a new man when he visited. He was a new man. He shared about his new job making $15 an hour and how he was making more money than anyone in his entire family. He shared about special training his company gave him and the possibility of advancing.

He shared about the little apartment he shares with his two kids and their mother. He shared about the dilemma of wanting a Dodge Charger but deciding on a SUV because it was more practical for a family. This definitely was a different Bryan.

But mostly he shared his gratitude. His sole purpose was to humbly acknowledge the difference his teachers made in his life — how the love and commitment of a handful of us literally saved and changed his life and the life of his two little children.

It was a priceless gift. Now, our tanks are full, and there’s enough oomph to get us through the rest of the year.

This story was originally published January 2, 2018 at 5:41 PM with the headline "For Christmas, he gave his Columbus teachers a priceless gift for changing his life."