A Few Minutes of Kindness

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teacher Tales

BY: Steve Johnson, 2009 Nevada State Teacher of the Year

He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has.
~Henry Ward Beecher


Teachers strive to care equally about each of the students they teach. For most of us, however, some students stand out because they have profoundly influenced our lives. Years ago, I had a young Hispanic boy in my first year chemistry class who I will never forget. Our experiences together impressed upon me the tremendous influence that just a few minutes of kindness can have on a young life.


Juan came from a very poor, single parent home. His mother was disinterested in his education and in his life in general. Throughout the year, I noticed that Juan had an unusual ability to solve equations, and to correlate abstract relationships between concepts. Juan picked up new ideas as fast as any of my other students. I was shocked when he approached me after school one day to tell me that he liked chemistry, but did not think he was smart enough to attend college. He did not feel that his mother would be interested in helping him with school. What should he do with his life?


I explained to Juan that he was one of my very best students. His face lit up with excitement, and he looked at me incredulously. I proceeded to explain to him that he could apply for scholarships, loans, and federal grants to pay for college. I continued by telling Juan that it would be a waste of considerable talent if he did not go to college. Finally, I told Juan that I would be teaching advanced placement chemistry next year, and I was really hoping that he would take the class. Juan looked as though he would need to re-think his entire life. He told me that he would consider what I had said.


The next morning, I went out for my daily jog around the block. I was startled when Juan appeared from nowhere on my front lawn. "Hi, Mr. Johnson," Juan said cheerfully. "I have been thinking about what you told me yesterday, and I am going to take your advanced placement class. Did you know that I live just across the street?" I hadn't known that Juan was my neighbor. I invited him to jog with me, and from then on, Juan would join me before school several mornings each week for a half-hour jog. We got to know each other quite well. We were both Dallas Cowboys fans, we both liked the outdoors, and we both liked math and science. Soon, Juan was joining my family for evening games of Monopoly, or Hearts. When I took my own two children fishing, he tagged along and caught his first fish.


Juan was my best student that year in advanced placement chemistry. His skills and abilities continued to grow, and he never tired of mind-bending calculations or homework. His confidence increased, and he literally blossomed before my eyes. Other students wanted to be Juan's lab partner, and he developed into a popular outgoing young man.


As the end of the year approached, Juan stayed after school one day to thank me for my interest in his life. I was profoundly moved when he told me that those fifteen or twenty minutes that we had talked the previous year had changed his life. He got a 5 on the advanced placement chemistry exam and he was awarded enough scholarship assistance that he was able to attend the local university. I was very proud of him, and not surprised when he graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering. We stayed in touch over the years, and eventually, Juan moved into the top management level of an international corporation.


I have often wondered how both of our lives would have been different had our paths not crossed. When I thought of leaving the teaching profession for a career in medicine several years later, Juan stood out in my mind. How important had my encouragement really been to him, and to the path he would follow? The life of a teacher is often a life of poverty in the material sense. However, teachers have the unique opportunity to inspire their students to reach for the stars. What could be a more worthwhile pursuit? Who could have known the importance of fifteen minutes in the life of a young man? I was so thankful that I took the time to encourage Juan to believe in himself.


My experiences with Juan contributed to my decision to remain in the classroom. My love for my students and for the subject I teach has continued to grow over the years. I consider myself most fortunate to be a chemistry teacher, and to have been a part of so many young lives, hopes, and dreams! I may not drive the nicest car on the block, but I am very rich in the things that count the most.

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