On Teaching: "Being Merciful and Mighty"

MERCY: 1. Compassionate treatment, especially of those under one's power; clemency. 2. A disposition to be kind and forgiving: a heart full of mercy. 3. Something for which to be thankful; a blessing: It was a mercy that no one was hurt. 4. Alleviation of distress; relief: Taking in the refugees was an act of mercy.

MIGHTY: 1. Having or showing great power, skill, strength, or force: a mighty orator; a mighty blow. 2. Imposing or awesome in size, degree, or extent: a mighty stone fortress.

An old church hymn speaks of God as being both “merciful and mighty”, and I got to thinking the other day that the phrase could be used to describe what a good teacher should hope to be. Certainly mercy is a quality, or disposition, that should be predominant in any classroom. My students, the minute they walk in my door, should sense a “kind and forgiving” atmosphere. I would hope that, some day in the future, my students would even be “thankful” for the “blessing” of my English class, as if they might say, “It was a mercy that we got to go to Mr. Salsich’s class.” However, I would also like to think they might sense a “great power” in my classroom, as though something “awesome”, something of great force, is occurring there. My room could even be thought of (I hope) as being like “a stone fortress” where students can take refuge and learn important truths in an atmosphere of security and peace. In fact, perhaps I – the old, gentle, harmless English teacher – might even be thought of as an “imposing” teacher who is able to deal “a mighty blow” against ignorance.

This is the hope I have for my future years as a teacher – that I can be both merciful and mighty. I want the students to know that a vast river of kindness and forgiveness flows through my classroom, but that my room is also a fortress which allows no admittance to silliness, inattentiveness, or apathy. You’ll receive endless mercy in my room, but you’ll also be expected to be a valiant and “awesome” soldier in the war against ignorance. You’ll feel the power of clemency in my English class, but you’ll also feel the power of serious thinking, serious reading, and serious writing.

This is my hope, my big dream as a teacher. Hopefully I can teach long enough (I'm now a young 64) to see it come true.