A lesson that should be taught in all schools and colleges:

A lesson that should be taught in all schools and colleges:
Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha
Cothren, a Social 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 her supervisor, she
removed all the desks out of her classroom.
When the first period kids entered the room, they discovered that there
were no desks. 'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'
She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me what you have
done to 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, and third period. Still no desks in the classroom.
By early afternoon television news crews had started to gathering in
Ms. Cothren's classroom 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 deskless classroom, Martha Cothern 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 Cothern went over to the door of classroom and opened it.
Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, 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. Now, it's up to
you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, and
to be good citizens.They paid the price, so that you could have the freedom to
get an education. Don't ever forget it.'

Thanks Aunt Jeanie for this email