I Was Travis' Teacher...Imagine That Privilege!

The 2011-12 school year was a rough one for me, for many reasons I won't go into right now. I've never walked away from teaching for good, but that was one year in which I thought maybe the profession would be better off without me. 

One day, there was a moment that started to change all that.

Fifth period Ethics. That was a vivacious bunch, and teaching them about the issues spawning from the commandment "You shall not commit adultery" wasn't keeping them calm (They were high school sophomores, after all!).

I don't recall the exact situation. I do recall correcting--in rapid fashion--a comment by a kid named Travis Ralls, and then having to stop him from getting further distracted by other students. Finally, I said quietly, "Travis, settle down, please."

That might have been the end of it except that Travis shook his head and looked at me pleadingly before saying, "Rabs [Rabbi is the term of semi-endearment my students use for me; Travis like to shorten it to 'Rabs'], why are you so hard on me?"

Partly due to frustration, partly wanting to move on, partly wanting to say something salvagably nice, I said, "Because I'm hardest on the ones with the most potential, because I believe in you."

To tell the truth, I don't know how willingly Travis swallowed that, but he did nod and ended up with an appreciative look on his face.

Did I mention he ended up leading us to multiple state baseball titles?

Did mention he ended up coming back to visit me faithfully a few times after graduating?

Did I mention this kid grew and matured the most out of almost all my students at Westminster?

And the capper: This guy gets it when it comes to living his faith.

In a recent article for a Greenville University publication, Travis wrote, "In life we fail--we have slumps, we hit hard times. Just like in baseball, how we react in these moments of trial are the true representations of our character. Without Christ, my baseball career and, most importantly, my life are meaningless. In my slumps both on the field and in life, I must rely on Jesus Christ for my strength."

Travis Ralls gets it. I got to have him.

He's no longer my student. I happened to be his teacher. Imagine that privilege!