It seems that these days we are constantly exposed to negative stories and opinions painting a dark future of doom and gloom. It is almost as if many in our culture only want to see the bad while denying the existence of the good aspects of our lives.
As the holiday season approaches, I think we’re better off spending some time recalling memories of positive experiences and relationships that have made our lives better and more fulfilled. For most of us, if asked to develop a list of those people who have positively impacted our lives, we’ll find at least one teacher’s name near the top. While my list would contain several wonderful teachers that I’ve been blessed to know, the one that I remember quite fondly is Carl Schluter.
Mr. Schluter was a kind and quiet-spoken man who drove a school bus and taught algebra and other math courses at Northwest High School near Justin, Texas. He worked with the Student Council, the National Honor Society, and other organizations. While I had always been a strong student, I left the eighth-grade with a negative experience which shook my confidence in learning math. As the last child at home on the farm with a single mother living on less than $500 per month life was sometimes difficult. In a small town where everyone knows everything, I think he knew that I needed all of the help I could get.
While Mr. Schluter was there for all of his students, I believe that he took a special interest in helping restore my confidence and making sure that I developed a strong foundation that would benefit me in the future. I remember he always spoke in quiet but reassuring tones guiding my thinking to help me to understand underlying concepts and not just rules and formulas. He was a strong believer in the ‘show your work’ concepts which allowed him to understand my thought processes and see where I missed a step and help me to correct it. This kept answers from either being simply ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ and created a continuum of learning that was always moving forward.
In the days when a simple four-function calculator was $300 or more, he helped me learn to use a slide rule which I bought from him for $7 — and by the way, I still have it. I kept it in the car when I was driving with my mother and would perform time/speed calculations and calculate our estimated time of arrival with a high level of accuracy. He taught me to calculate the length of a moving train by pacing its speed and measuring the elapsed time to pass it. He made math fun and showed practical applications of its use.
My favorite memory of that was when he took the class outside the back of the school where we were having a problem with water standing around the foundation. He set up a transit and we took dozens of measurements across an area about a quarter the size of a football field. The assignment was for us to develop an approach to the problem and then calculate the volume of dirt we’d need to bring in to fix the standing water issue. I remember going home that night and thinking it through – no calculations – just an approach. The next morning I sat behind him as he drove the bus and told him how I would address the issue. I remember seeing him smile as he told me that my approach was valid – now go calculate the solution. A few days later, when he addressed the student and faculty, he gave me public credit for coming up with the correct answers and they brought in the fill dirt to resolve the problem. It was just one of the many things he did to restore my confidence.
A year later, when my mother died unexpectedly, I remember Mr. Schluter coming to the funeral. He stood there quietly, with a tear in his eye, showing his concern for me and what the future might hold, but I hope knowing that he’d done everything he could to prepare me. Because of Mr. Schluter, I developed a real love of math. This led me to start writing software in the 70’s and 80’s and database development in the 90’s. I use the abilities he taught me almost every day. He taught me logic, strategy, planning, and many other skills that go far beyond mathematics which I’ve been able to apply in many different disciplines. He has always held a special place in my heart as he has become truly unforgettable.
I truly believe that many of us have a Mr. Schluter in our lives. A teacher who cares for us and does everything that they can do to help us become the best we can be. I’d love to hear your story about an unforgettable teacher.
If you’re willing to share, please email me at David.Foster@mtsu.edu.