SPEAKING OF VALUES By Joseph Walker

Hero on the bus They’re calling her a hero. They are correct - she is. But maybe not for the reason they’re giving. At least, not entirely. Her name was Heather, and she was a teacher. Bright, articulate, hard-working, creative and fun, she probably would have been successful at anything she put her mind to. Certainly, she could have made more money than she was making as a secondary school teacher. But she was passionate about teaching. Most especially, she was passionate about teaching music. And she was good at it. Young people responded to her, as they usually do to adults who sincerely like them and who clearly want them to be happy and successful. They liked her because she liked them, and they listened to her because they knew she cared. Heather was part of a team of dedicated teachers who helped to create a championship-caliber high school marching band. This band was - and still is - the toast of its region, and if it isn’t the best high school band in the United States, it is certainly in the discussion. Most who know and respect the band attribute their success to visionary leadership, talented kids and an extraordinary work ethic. Heather was deeply involved in all of that, and she savored every moment she spent with her kids. Last weekend, for example, was spent at a marching band competition in a neighboring state. They won the competition - as usual - with Heather alternately stressing, encouraging and cheering from the sidelines. After celebrating their victory, they loaded up the four buses required to carry the entire band and started for home at about 8:30 in the evening, with Heather sitting right up front of the bus carrying “her” kids: the woodwind section. About an hour into the three-hour trip home something happened. Exactly what happened is still a little unclear. According to those who were on the bus, there was a medical problem with the bus driver. Heather called out to the driver as the bus began to careen off the side of the road. When it was clear there was a problem, Heather leapt to the driver’s side and tried to take control of the steering wheel as the bus bounced wildly over treacherous terrain. She wasn’t able to get the bus back onto the road, but at least she was able to keep it from going further out into the darkness away from the road. Still, the terrain, the speed and the steering struggles proved to be too much for the heavily loaded vehicle, and it eventually tipped over on its side before sliding to a stop. As you might expect, the students on the bus were terrified. It was chaotic and traumatic, and a number of them were injured in the accident - thankfully, none critically. None, that is, except for Heather. As she battled to control the bus she placed herself in a precarious and vulnerable position. As the vehicle lurched and reeled and began to roll, she was thrown through the windshield. Adults from the other buses and emergency personnel did everything they could, but eventually the students had to be informed that Heather had died. The loss of their teacher and friend was overwhelming to the students, especially after it became clear that Heather’s efforts to steer the bus back to safety had prevented the vehicle from crashing into a deep, rocky ravine a few yards from where the bus finally settled. “There’s no telling how many lives she saved,” one highway patrol officer said at the scene. “If that bus had gone into the ravine... ” The thought was too horrible to complete. So, yes - Heather’s actions last Saturday evening were heroic. I gratefully acknowledge that. But in my mind, that isn’t what makes her a hero. As impressive as what she did on the bus is, I’m even more impressed by the simple fact that she was on the bus. She was there for her students. She responded when she was needed. And she made a difference in their lives - a difference they will remember as long as they live. I think it’s that way with most teachers. Sure, there are bad apples in the teaching profession, just as there are bad lawyers, bad doctors, bad engineers and - heaven forbid - bad newspaper columnists. But my experience suggests that teachers teach because they care. They want to be there for their students. They are anxious and willing to respond whenever they are needed. And their greatest desire is to make a positive difference in the lives of their students. When you choose to be a teacher you’re not choosing a path that will lead to fame or fortune. In fact, you are likely choosing to live a simple, quiet life. But you are choosing a path that matters in the lives of students and their families - past, present and future. And that choice, to me, is heroic. In the classroom, the practice field, the auditorium, the laboratory, the gymnasium. Or on the bus.