“Back to School” is a couple weeks away…this year it has a special impact on my family….two of my children have graduated from daycare, and off to school… this whole motherhood/schooling dilemma has took me back to school, to seek a higher degree in education in order to understand the best approach available…so far, no answers…. however, great teachers like our dean @AUD , Dr. Catherine Hill, introduced us to “greatness”, I could not find the movie on you tube, if anyone out there can share please leave a comment. I wish for my children teachers like Albert Cullum, I share below a reflective memo that I wrote about him.

The documentary “Touched by Greatness” is a combination of interviews with Albert Cullum and his former students.  It includes footage from the 60s and was filmed by director Robert Downey Senior. Produced in 2003 by Catherine Grund and directed by Leslie Sullivan, herself a student of Cullum, the documentary depicts the work of a maverick public school teacher who was truly “special”.

Describing him as an eccentric person would be an understatement. Born in the 20s, his method of teaching was way ahead of his times. Almost 100 years since his birth, his perception of what teaching should be remains true, though nowadays the technologies and theories of his time have become obsolete, his simple principle of making teaching fun remains valid and moreover a never-ending challenge to educators. Although the industrial revolution took the center stage early on this century all the way to the sixties, Cullum focused on drama, poetry and imagination.

At times where Dick, Jane and discipline ruled the schools of America, a classroom that was deemed successful was when students had perfectly cut nails, sat quietly and obediently in aligned desks in orderly rows. The teacher was in total control, he/she knew everything, delivering lessons in a direct top down instructive manner, with no room for questioning nor negotiating. However, an aspired actor that ended up being an elementary teacher encouraged imagination, inspiration and self-esteem in the classroom.

Cullum realized early in his teaching career that something major was missing. He was true to himself, and thus to his students. He was getting bored in the classroom, and accepted that his students wouldn’t possibly feel any different. So he opted for imaginative play and creativeness, concepts that hardly existed during that time, and were certainly not considered an effective teaching method. Nonetheless, he proved that they were, and that children can enjoy Greek tragedies, Shaw and Shakespeare. The plays that his young students were able to perform were remarkable, he truly believed in the capabilities of young children, his emphasis on positive self-esteem and his encouragement to accept their inner greatness

Cullum stressed on humor, in the documentary, you often hear students laughing as they swim in the Mississippi river, and brought over their pet families to participate in elections. Having children engaged enhanced the team and eventually family spirit, maximizing the learning outcome and shaping future successful, diverse and dynamic personalities. The team was as important as its individual members. Combining several teaching principles in his classroom, the cooperative method was noticeable on several fronts. The only African American student of St. Luke’s class, recalled how, only when Cullum was the leader of the class, that the feeling of love, acceptance and integration was manifested. Cullum’s classroom may have appeared chaotic at times, however the lesson plan, objective and learning outcome were always clear and attained. Being a transformational leader, Cullum set the boundaries naturally among his class.

Cullumn’s tactics encouraged the young students to understand social issues and values.  I would even go to the extent of saying that he used the flipped classroom model, using paper and chairs instead of technological applications. The humanistic approach is also evident, though Carl Rogers was still developing his Non Directive teaching method during that era.  Collumn understood the importance of the cathartic effect of literature, where villains were able to be true villains and heroes raised their swords and lead their armies to victorious wars. Early exposure to literature taught these kids what a deep meaning of is right or wrong, a task that seems increasingly more complex with “War of the Warlords” video games and “WWF” wrestling super stars.

Cullum once expressed:  “every public schoolgirl should have the chance to play the part of St. Joan before the age of twelve, because the older you get, the more difficult it is to hear the voices of St. Margaret and St. Catherine calling you.”  This is such a deep and true statement: we arrive pure and in touch with the greatness above, but as the layers of life start accumulating, the voices and the connections, if not nurtured, fade away.

Albert Cullum reunited with his students, shortly before his departure. An 80 year young man, remembered their names, where they were seated, and the story behind every one of them. His 40 and 50 year old students giggled like children. Described by his peers, Cullum was either loved or “tolerated”. I wouldn’t be surprised to know that a lot of his peers disliked and criticized him. Special people face this fate as they threaten the equilibrium of the standardized norm. But Cullum’s simple principle of “Students are turned on by greatness and bored by mediocrity” was not shaken, and thus today, ten years since his departure, he made a difference, in me, with regards of approaching teaching. Cullum saw the sky as the limit for young student’s talent. Talent in his eyes did not mean success in the showbiz or corporate world. His students were made conscious of their unique talent, believed in it, and lived as stars in their own cosmos.

Bruce Kluger, member of USA Today’s Board of Contributors and a Contributing Editor of Parenting magazine once wrote: “If I were secretary of Education, I’d order 3.5 million copies of the new documentary A Touch of Greatness and send them to every teacher, principal, and PTA president in the United State”. I’d say, make that a couple billion and send it to every teacher, principal and PTA around the world.