Thank you, Craig Yager: Acknowledging the Unsung Heroes
Think back to your school experience and ask yourself, “What did I value most about my education?” If you are a graduate of Graland, you probably thought about some of the most memorable experiences—the Southwest Trip, for example, or more recently, the Sam Loewi Unified Neighborhood Games. Those events were transformational in many ways, but if you think about it, behind those experiences was a person, Nancy Priest, or a group of people, the Fourth Grade Team in 1999, who worked hard to make it happen.
Therefore, when you ask yourself, “What did I value most about my education?,” you are really asking yourself, “Who did I value most? Which teacher made the biggest impact in my life?”
Former founder and director of Seattle Academy (and my current executive coach) Jean Orvis interviewed more than 650 graduating seniors and asked them to identify what had the most impact on their learning during their primary and secondary years. Though many listed formative experiences like the ones cited above, relationships with teachers proved to be the single most powerful influence. The interviewees celebrated teachers who showed compassion, competency and passion. They applauded teachers who fostered trust by fully understanding and supporting their pupils as students and people. Finally, they recognized teachers who inspired their students to step out of their comfort zone just enough to grow.
I unfortunately did not attend Graland nor did I experience the amazing teachers who have transformed so many lives at this school. (My sole experience as a student at Graland was sitting for the SSAT in 1985. Was Mr. Hickey even proctoring?) Still, by happenstance, I did have extraordinary teachers through my education. When I asked myself, which teacher impacted my life the most, I quickly scribbled down over 12 names from my elementary teachers in Boulder to my school finance professor at Columbia. And really, I have had many other teachers outside the traditional classroom, mostly here at Graland—John Threlkeld, Tony Catanese and Ronni McCaffrey.
Still, scanning over the long list, the one that strikes me as most impactful is my fifth and sixth grade teacher at Whittier Elementary, Craig Yager. We called him “Craig” in typical Boulder fashion. He was so gifted not just at simply teaching but creating a learning environment that was dynamic, creative and inclusive. When I walked into his classroom, I walked into a world, a world we created together. We had a government, we had an economy with a marketplace, we had culture complete with stories, songs and performances, and we had a community forged through experiences, mostly outdoor challenges but also athletic competitions—pickup basketball and kickball. All of these elements gave every activity meaning and authenticity. I felt a sense of agency and purpose in all that we did.
At Craig’s urging, I took the stage for the first time as Angelo in Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors and earned my first (and only) lead as the father in the musical Cheaper by the Dozen. In these theatrical experiences, as well as when I was the classroom reporter and the monthly class president, I first saw myself as a leader who could influence others for the better. But mostly, over the two years that Craig taught me, I learned to deeply love a teacher who gave so much of himself, whether teaching fractions, strumming the guitar, playing basketball with us, leading us through outdoor orientation exercises, guiding us in choreography, or simply being there and knowing us well enough to inspire each of us to be our best. I learned to respect the teaching profession as essential to society. I left those two years knowing I wanted to teach, to follow that example.
In Orvis’s research, she describes teachers like Craig Yager and many others as the unsung heroes of America. Though it was only two years of my life, I owe much of who I have become as a professional and a person to Craig. His influence on me led me to teach and hopefully have a similar influence on many of my students. His impact was exponential, just like the dozen teachers honored on my list and the teachers at Graland, past and present, who have changed so many lives. I hope, as the leader of Graland, I can follow in that transformative legacy and help create a learning environment that is energetically innovative, deeply inclusive and profoundly inspirational. To do that, I know in my heart it begins by acknowledging the importance of these unsung heroes and ensuring that all educators feel valued for the essential work they do every day.
A former classroom teacher, Josh joined the Graland faculty in 2002. He has a master of education degree in private school leadership from Columbia University Klingenstein Center and once traveled extensively through the Himalayas, spending two years studying Buddhism and teaching English to Buddhist monks.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
