Mick Purcell was Teacher of the Year at LBJ High School in 1999 - 2000, but his campaign to remove the vending machines was a terrible failure, and he's still bitter.
When I was very young, my father insisted that I learn the three Rs: Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic. It appalled me that he didn't know how to spell Writing or Arithmetic, but I suppose that was part of his grand plan: I was learning the three Rs.
Later, in high school, I moved beyond the basics, and like most teenagers with half a brain, I was attracted to idealism and socialism. I imagined a happy, peaceful, society in which everybody contributed according to his abilities and took according to his needs. Of course, as I learned more, my idealism was shattered. The world is a competitive place, and many people believe in Social Darwinism and other ugly ideas. It is more complicated than I once thought, but still I hold out belief that we can find some meaning in this life and live peaceably with others. Maybe that's why I became a teacher.
Read more »