On October 10, 2007, Dr. Tim Sheehan came to Johnson Junior High School to speak to my students.  The class is comprised of young men in the seventh grade; they are diagnosed with emotional and behavioral difficulties that keep them, for the most part, out of the regular education environment.  This day marked the first time our class had a guest speaker, and the students were excited.

            For one hour, Dr. Sheehan engaged the minds of these young men.  He challenged their ideas of what martial arts really are and provided them with accurate information.  He invited them to truly think about what they mean when they use words like “good,” “bad,” and “respect.”  And, he talked with them about the development of character and how the choices we make become “tracks” in our minds; eventually, the tracks become ingrained to a point where we can’t leave them.  With that in mind, making positive, life-affirming choices becomes even more crucial.

            The students responded extremely well to Dr. Sheehan and his message.  Some of them were challenged to the point of frustration with some of the concepts; however, none of them quit trying. With Dr. Sheehan’s patience and encouragement, they all worked their way through.  Several of the students wanted to share personal experiences with him.  One student proudly showed Dr. Sheehan his notebook of drawings, and he was thrilled with the encouraging words Dr. Sheehan gave him.  As for me, I have been referred to as a “behavior expert.”  Well, this expert is smart enough to know a better teaching method when he sees it.  I asked Dr. Sheehan if I could use the tracks analogy in my work with these and future students.

            The entire experience was nothing short of fantastic, and one comment sums it all up for me.  After Dr. Sheehan had finished his presentation and was talking with several students, I moved to the back of my classroom.  As I walked by one of my quieter students, he looked at me, grinned, and said, “That was really cool!  Can we do it again?”  Thank you, Dr. Sheehan.  You are welcome in this classroom any time.

Travis Burns