Deskless Classroom

I had to take this from one of my favorite blogs "One Marine's View" because I don't believe anyone could have said it better. If you've never seen his blog, click on the link to the right.

Don't know if you've ever seen this. A great lesson for all kids.

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, asocial studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock ,did something not to be forgotten.

On the first day of school, with the permission of the schoolsuperintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removedall of the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that therewere no desks.

Looking around, confused, they asked,'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'
She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me what you have doneto earn the right to sit at a desk.'
They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'No,' she said.
'Maybe it's our behavior.'She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior'.
And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, thirdperiod. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken allthe desks out of her room.
The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seatson the floor of the desk less classroom.

Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell mejust what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that areordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'
At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroomand opened it.
Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into thatclassroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall.
By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kidsstarted to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, justhow the right to sit at those desks had been earned.
Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks.
These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you.Now, it's up to you to sit in them.
It is your responsibility to learn, to begood students, to be good citizens.
They paid the price so that youcould have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'
By the way, this is a true story.... If you can read this, thank ateacher. If you read it in English, thank a soldier.
Yes, it really is a true story..