Martha Cothren- A true teacher! ... Thx Judi C!

NOW SHE IS A TEACHER!!!

In September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a
History 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 school
superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of
the desks in her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room
they discovered that there were no desks. 'Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you 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, third period.
Still no desks in the classroom. Kids called their parents to tell them
what was happening and by early afternoon television news crews had started
gathering at the school to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all
the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats
on the floor of the desk-less classroom. Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout
the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or she has done to earn
the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom.
Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and
opened it. Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniform, walked into that
classroom, 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 kids
started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how
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. They went halfway
around the world, giving up their education and interrupting their careers and
families so you could have the freedom you have. Now, it's up to you to
sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be
good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get
an education. Don't ever forget it.'

By the way, this is a true story. And this teacher was awarded Veterans of
Foreign Wars Teacher of the Year for the State of Arkansas in 2006. She is
the daughter of a WWII POW.

Let us always remember the men and women of our military and the rights
they have won for us.

> > Blessings abound in our USA!