The Memorial Service for Mr. Tom Poe Sr.
(The Pyramid of Teaching Success, Part 1)
Swen Nater

Yesterday in Enumclaw, Washington, I attended a memorial service for a man, Mr. Tom Poe Sr., who served as teacher, principal, and district superintendent for over thirty years. The service was appropriately held at Enumclaw High School and over two hundred attended, mostly Enumclaw School District teachers and staff.

It began with the introduction of the pastor who said a few words and then led everyone in all four verses of Amazing Grace, a-capella because the sound system, that was supposed to provide orchestral accompaniment, wasn’t working.

Next, Mr. Poe’s grandchildren came up and the oldest, Sarah, gave a list of all the humorous things she remembered, all the while giving him honor as a person, role model, and grandfather.

Then his only daughter took the podium. His only son followed and that’s when I heard something I will never forget. He asked the audience to raise their hands if his father had hired them and about half the audience did. Then he said, “Knowing my dad, during your hiring interview, he didn’t ask any questions about your teaching expertise.” Everyone nodded in agreement. He continued, “What he did was ask you a bunch of questions to find out two things: If you really loved young people and if your life was in order. If you passed, you were hired. If you didn’t, he didn’t want you.” 

The cornerstones of John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success are Industriousness and Enthusiasm. The reason is, without hard work and a love for what you’re involved in, somewhere on the way to the top of the Pyramid, (the 13 remaining blocks), the integrity of the structure will be compromised. Short cuts and lack of passion will show up as cracks in the Pyramid.

With that in mind, suppose you and I created a pyramid, specifically designed to help teachers make the effort to become the very best teachers (classroom, court, field, rink, business, etc) they can be. What would the cornerstones be? What two things, if not there, would hinder progress, cause one to faint from the obstacles, and fall beneath the handicap?

Before we answer that question, let’s define good teaching. It’s a very broad subject but in its simplest form, we can say, good teaching has taken place when students have learned. As Coach Wooden has said, “You haven’t taught until they have learned.” Therefore, teaching is not merely dispensing information. Teachers that facilitate learning, use their resourcefulness to call upon whatever means is necessary, including their own experiences and the experiences of anyone else that might have the answers, so that their students gain knowledge and understanding. 

Now back to our question. If good teaching means students learn, what, if not there, would keep a teacher, even if he or she knew the subject well and had great lesson plans, from fully realizing his or her pedagogical potential?

So we’re looking for two words. Coach Wooden once gave me two words. He said, “The two most important words in the English language are Love and Balance.” Do you see it? His two words match up with the two things Mr. Tom Poe Sr. was interested in when interviewing teachers. In case you’re wondering if “balance” is the same as having your life in order, it is. A life in balance is a life in order because all things are kept in their proper perspective: Professionally, Personally, Emotionally, and Mentally. Therefore, the cornerstones for The Pyramid of Teaching Success are Love and Balance.

Oh by the way, the Pyramid of Teaching Success has already been created by an organization named, Be Like Coach, of which I am a member. I’ll show you the entire pyramid sometime soon, but first we’ll build it, level by level. This pyramid has five levels. The first has five blocks, just like The Pyramid of Success. We’ve established the cornerstones in this posting. In the next few days, we’ll present the three blocks in between. Can you guess what they are? Hint: No teacher can become great by himself or herself.

“Love is a better teacher than duty.” Albert Einstein