Adults often reflect on how one teacher made a big difference in their lives. When I hear this, I know that teacher had a tough shell and a soft core. Wisdom is what molds minds and builds character in students.

Teaching high school students is a tough job, and it takes a special person to measure up to the task. Students are an abstract bunch; what stimulates one may not budge the other. One form doesn’t fit all, and a good teacher will recognize that and not be too rigid and unreachable. A wise teacher will know when to bend a little to achieve higher results from a student.

It can take years for a teacher to reach that level of insight. Some never do, and don’t belong in a classroom.

For years there has been an outcry from teachers that parents are not involved enough. All the more reason why, when parents show genuine interest, a teacher should match it with enthusiasm and not ignore inquiries or create false impressions until it is too late to save a grade.

That is particularly important for students’ eligibility to participate in sports.

Jennie Peters, Lewiston