Hi Cougar Families and Friends!
Welcome back to the start of another fantastic year! I am super excited to let you know that our weekly blog Celebrating Cinco is back for the upcoming year. Look for posts from students, teachers/staff, parents, and maybe even your principal every now and then.
Our first post of the year comes from an admired veteran teacher and coach here at Cinco. Coach Hayes has inspired many young lives, but as you will read in his post, he is inspired by the young people who walk through these doors each day. I know you will enjoy his post. Again, welcome back for another year of purpose, passion, and pride! #CPOE
I am starting my 33rd year of teaching and
coaching. This career spans time spent
in Miami, Arlington, Conroe, Fukuoka, Japan, Morton Ranch Junior High and the
last 15 years at Cinco Ranch High.
Teaching and coaching is all I have ever wanted to do. Every day I get to engage in discussions and
arguments, exchange ideas, wonder, challenge and be challenged, encourage
dreaming, and provide opportunities to think.
It is truly a blessing to be a teacher and coach.
What I have learned over the past 32 years, is to approach
my job completely different than I did my first year way back in 1985. When asked, “What do you teach?’ English was always the response. Fortunately, I have learned the correct
answer. (This is hard for me to say as I
constantly tell my students that English is the best subject as there are no
wrong answers.) Nevertheless, for the
question, “What do you teach?” there is only one answer. “I teach young people.” The who is so much more important than the
what. English as a subject, is strictly
what puts us in a room together.
I was recently reminded of this when a student of mine told
me about the Japanese art form called kintsugi. Basically, it is the process of repairing
smashed pottery by using beautiful seams of gold. It takes something broken and makes it more
beautiful. This reminded me of the 100
young people that will walk through my door this week. All are in need of some gold to patch things
up. Some a lot, some a little. Teaching
the rhyme scheme of a poem or where to correctly place a comma is certainly
beneficial, but restoring broken pieces can be life changing. Our colors at Cinco Ranch High School are
maroon and white and I proudly wear them.
Yet this year I hope that I can add some gold to that on a daily
basis.
Bruce Hayes, Teacher/Coach
Thanks for sharing :)
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