How do you want to be remembered by your students? And, more
importantly, when?
For your awards or accolades and only at the end?
In some big ceremony, retirement, or a funeral attended by many,
Which of those ways do I want to be remembered by my students? Not any.
I want to be remembered during certain times by those whose lives I’ve
touched;
I want my students to remember me and to understand I’ve loved them so
much.
When a former student is sad, I want him to remember a joke I told him and
laugh;
When a former student is weak, she remembers my words or deeds and her
problem she attacks;
When a former student is treated badly, I want him to treat others with
dignity and respect;
When a former student has the chance to be a hero, I want her to do what I
expect;
And when a former student feels alone, I want him to ask for peace,
Because God is always with us, the greatest and the least.
I want to be remembered in ways that empower the students I’ve known,
For that means I truly helped them and through my teaching they have grown.
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David A. Grenardo is a professor of law at the St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. He was a four-year letterman in football at Rice University and earned his J.D. from Duke Law School.
