Those That Polish

Bringing forth potential

I think it was pre-calculus but to be honest, I have wiped most of my memories from almost all of my math classes. There was my geometry teacher, Mr. Igo who perhaps was less than qualified to be teaching a group of freshmen in high school. There was Mrs. Stewart who taught me Calculus AB in which I could’ve gotten better grades by simply throwing darts to choose answers for tests. But there’s one memory of one teacher from one math class that is positive, and that was Mr. Weiss for pre-calculus.

He was an older man, quiet, and unassuming who taught in the highest classroom in my un-airconditioned school, and the class met right after lunch. In other words, it was a tragic set of conditions for this anti-math student. But that year went about as well as I had ever experienced in math class. It wasn’t always successful but I distinctly remember in tests that didn’t go as planned or assignments that weren’t understood, Mr. Weiss would take time outside of the classroom to help break things down through concepts I understood.

He seemed to take real interest in the betterment of his students. He spoke in language they could comprehend. Most importantly, he helped us realize that the stories we thought about ourselves weren’t always true. With a little bit of hard work, disbelief could be polished into belief. It was the first (and last) time in my mathematical career that I ever carried any confidence.

Education in Hebrew is called חינוך. At its root lies a surprising word: to rub or to polish. One of my chores that I was responsible for in my house growing up was polishing before Shabbat. I hated it. Let’s be real. I hated all chores and still do (sorry, Lauren!) Although, I am a damn good dish washer. But I digress.

As much as I hated polishing, I always found myself awed at the way a quick swipe of the rag left a surface looking so shiny and new. That glimmer was, of course, there; it was just covered up by some dust. That dust can be prominent but all it takes is a simple stroke of a hand and it’s gone.

That image helps us understand why education comes from the words to polish/rub. Good educators helps us see beneath our “dust.” This point is reinforced in a beautiful piece from the Piacezna Rebbe in his work “Chovot Ha’talmidim-The Obligation of the Student,” an ethical, self-guide book for students. In it, he wrote the following:

The word chinuch refers not to a trade or skill but to the potential, the predilection, and capability that a person might possess, which makes him suited for a particular task...The word chinuch is a special word that implies the realization of the already inherent capacity of the person or object, the actualization of a potential. This potential will remain hidden unless we bring it out. Our task is to cause the potential to emerge, to accomplish the chinuch that will transform the person into a skilled artisan, will cause the house or vessels to fulfill their functions, each room according to what it is best suited for, every vessel or instrument according to the task for which it was designed and prepared. When referring to the education of children, therefore, chinuch means stimulating the growth and development of what each child is suited for by his very nature. This quality or potential may be found in him in only very small measure, in total hiddenness, the task of the educator is to uncover it.

Riffing on a use of the word in the Abraham story, the Piacezna Rebbe perfectly captures what we all know to be true. To be an educator requires a special skill. There are things within each of us that have the potential to remain hidden or to be brought forth into the world.

Some of that we have the power to bring forth, but there are many pieces that require the deft touch of a skilled educator. Those educators have an intuitive ability to understand that each student they come across requires a unique relationship that will only unearth their particular skillset.

For me, that was Mr. Weiss who honestly, I haven’t though of in years. But as I started writing this, I was immediately transported back to my 16 year old self, alive with a new found confidence. Even now, I can still feel it.

We’re in the time of year where we’re celebrating academic accomplishments. There’s so much talk of amazing scholastic achievements. So much of that is due to an individual’s work ethic and also, so much of it is due to that one teacher. So, take some time and send a note to an educator you had who helped you learn how to polish off your dust. We may not be where we are now without their help.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Weekend!