I remember being in 3rd grade, watching the Challenger launch so many years ago. Christa McAuliffe. A teacher who gave her life doing extraordinary things to inspire her students. I look at this photo now, of a childhood hero floating in the same plane that I was lucky enough to go weightless on a couple of years ago, and I feel an understanding for how thrilling the entire experience must have been for her. Years later, her husband Scott McAuliffe said: “I know Christa would say that that is the most precious lesson – ordinary people can make extraordinary contributions when they remain true to themselves and enthusiastically pursue their own dreams wherever they may lead.” And that? Being an ordinary person enthusiastically doing what you love, no matter what. THAT is teaching.
I have a tiny pin that I got from NASA that says “Teacher in Space.” I keep it in a box with a few other things, like my class ring and some other small mementos. There is something about it that I hold onto. A little pin that’s a stark reminder of the profound meaning in the ordinary moments. Every day is a chance to show courage for our students, whether we are standing up for them, taking a risk in a new strategy, flying in Zero G, or reaching out to learn something new. And that pin? It’s a reminder that we must hold tightly to those chances and make them count with everything we have in us.
Because that is exactly what Christa McAuliffe did, so many years ago. And it’s something I will never forget.
Photo Credit: NASA
