As we turn the corner towards winter, only a week away, it’s a good time to look at what we’re doing here. Sometimes we feel like we’re putting in time until the next vacation, just two weeks away. Other times we are highly motivated either by an exciting project or the prospect of an upcoming exam. The give and take of education is a wonderful experience much of the time and incredibly important to our town, our state, our country and the world.

Mister Rogers, in his collection, “The World According to Mr. Rogers,” recognizes the importance of what’s going on here. He writes, “When I was very young, most of my childhood heroes wore capes, flew through the air, or picked up buildings with one arm. They were spectacular and got a lot of attention. But as I grew, my heroes changed, so that now I can honestly say that anyone who does anything to help a child is a hero to me.”

George Herbert Palmer wrote, “Teachers sometimes say, ‘I would like to teach if only pupils cared to learn.’ But then there would be little need for teaching.” What goes on here is almost like a dance. There are the flamboyant dancers who need little encouragement, but the biggest successes often come with those who linger at the side waiting for the right person to ask them onto the floor. The world of teaching and learning can be a very exciting place to be, even during the short days of winter.