Contrary to what you may have read or heard, teaching is not the noblest profession in the world. Any honorable profession in which someone works hard and does his or her best to make a difference is as noble as any other. Watch my mother-in-law serve her customers and you will understand what I mean.

It would be difficult, though, to find many professions having a greater impact on the world than teaching.

Recently, I finished rereading Molder of Dreams, by Guy Rice Doud. Guy was the National Teacher of the Year in 1986. In the book he talks about some of the struggles he had in school and how some of his teachers truly made a difference in his life. He mentions Mr. Card, his 6th grade teacher, who was one of the first teachers to give hope to an overweight, always-picked-last, discouraged kid (Guy). Mr. Card was one of Guy’s dream molders.

The book is touching and a very good read. I recommend it highly. It is also special to me because I have a several connections with Guy. Guy grew up a half a block from my family. He babysat my siblings and me. He also organized a successful picket line when a neighbor would not return the foul balls that landed in her yard from the neighborhood sandlot baseball games. (I think she promised to give the balls back as long as the story about the protest stayed out of the local paper.)

Most importantly, Mr. Card was also one of my dream molders. Mr. Card was my junior high wrestling coach. After years of playing basketball, I decided to join wrestling in 8th grade. I had a pretty good year for being new at it but I wasn’t too sure I would go out the following year. I was thinking I might try swimming, since that was the sport my brothers were in. Mr. Card, though, molded my dreams by taking the time to write a few personal lines of encouragement in the season summary. Because of the handful of words Mr. Card wrote, I decided wrestling was the sport for me and I can honestly say it was one of the most important and impactful decisions of my life.

Mr. Card was not the only molder of my dreams. Mr. Hoffbeck helped sculpt a bit, too. He was my senior high social studies teacher. He was liked and respected by the potential scholars and the potential dropouts because he showed genuine interest in everyone. Mr. Hoffbeck cultivated my interest in psychology and the human condition and was the main reason I chose education as a career.

Tom (T.K.) Keating, the 2004-2005 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, was also influential. I had the pleasure of interning with T.K. and his colleagues and was able to witness what can happen when an adult shows a sincere belief that all kids can be successful and takes the time to show he or she cares. T.K. tragically died way too soon but his funeral was a testament to his life’s work, with students from all walks of life in attendance. You could tell T.K. molded their dreams, too.

Of course, dream molding is not just reserved for teachers. Any and all of us can be dream molders. It is just I have been fortunate to have a career in education and work alongside, and witness the talents of, so many molders of dreams.

The list of those who helped mold my dreams is far too long to print. I am grateful for each one of them. I like how my life is because of them. So Mr. Card (if you ever read this), Mr. Hoffbeck (I know you read this), T.K. (I hope I told you), and the rest of my dream molders, I say “thank you!”

I encourage everyone who reads this to take the time to appreciate the molders of dreams in your own lives and do your best to mold the dreams of others.

I am not being humble when I say I do not think I could ever have the impact on others that my dream molders have had on me. I know, though, if I can even have a tenth of the impact, I will be doing okay.