A few months ago I wrote about how individuals can get involved in their local communities and also about the environment, mostly because both of these issues are very important to me. Obviously, that also determines what I read, and recently I read the story called ‘The man who planted trees.’ It is unfortunately not a true story, but it is the story you probably wish was true, simply because it is so lovely. In this blog, I will provide a summary of the story, and for each part, the most important lesson I think can be learned as a teacher from that part of the story.

 

Meeting the shepherd

The story begins in 1913, when a young man, who is the narrator of the story, travels through France to the Alps. He does this as he wants to appreciate the beauty of the wilderness. He runs out of water in a desolate valley, and after finding only a dry well, he is ‘rescued’ by a shepherd. The shepherd tells the man that he is trying to restore the landscape by planting acorn trees. He does this by digging holes with his staff, and planting acorns and other seedlings.

Why I paused here:

The narrator made me aware of the importance of protecting the wilderness and nature and highlighted to me again the importance of revisiting environmentally friendly policies and practice in our classrooms.

The shepherd made me aware of the importance of having a purpose. As you can imagine, the shepherd succeeds, but we shouldn’t let fear of failure prevent us from having a purpose. For many of us, that is why we chose education. I thought about the large number of films where there is an inspirational teacher that does miracle work, and how often we think or wish we could be that influential person. But that isn’t necessary. This shepherd was trying to do something that might not be worth an Oscar winning movie, but it had an impact, even if just to inspire the visitor, or improving the environment around them. We can do the same, just by walking into our classrooms and staff rooms with the purpose of making life better for those around us.

 

 

World War I

The narrator is called to duty during World War I, and by 1920 he is depressed and decides to return to the valley. He is surprised to see many of the saplings growing and the streams flowing. He visits the shepherd frequently, and on one visit finds out that the shepherd had given up on being a shepherd, and had opted to keep bees, because the sheep were eating his trees.

Why I paused here:

The narrator reminded me that sometimes we face struggles, and then we let go of things that give us pleasure. And sometimes, this is because of external factors outside of our control. But we should continue to revisit things when possible. This particularly made me aware of how individuals who suffer from depression often stop their hobbies or any activities that actually give them pleasure. While we cannot always spend as much time with our families or on our hobbies, we should always keep that in our periphery, and do so as soon as possible.

The shepherd, called the beekeeper in the last part of this blog, had to make a decision. A decision that altered his career, or at least his ‘job title,’ but he did so because he had a purpose. The other important thing is that despite not having any recognition, he kept planting trees, because the value of what he did was internal, not external. As teachers and managers, this is something that is important to keep in mind. Our work with our students might not always be visible to us. The time between the narrator’s first and last visit was seven years. Imagine the impact of starting a love for learning in Grade 5, with a student who is ‘desolate and dry.’ Seven years later (the difference between 1913 and 1920 in the story), there are streams of knowledge and trees of wisdom. You, as the teacher, might not see it, and you might feel like the narrator, struggling and shocked, but the growth is there. All we have to do is to continue planting the seedlings and nurturing our trees.

A final point, sometimes it is necessary to change careers, or move to another company, or accept or decline a promotion. While there are many reasons to do this, a career is a long-term project, and if needed, let your passion lead you.

 

 

Recognition at the end, or not?

After the First World War, the French government declares the forest officially protected, wrongly believing it is a miracle that the forest has revived itself. They are completely unaware of the work of the now beekeeper, who continues to nourish the forest for three decades. The narrator tells a friend, who works for the government as a forester, about the beekeeper, and the friend decides to continue protecting the forest. In 1947, the man who planted trees passes away peacefully, his secret known by only a few of the 10,000 people who now live in the valley.

Why I didn’t pause here:

I didn’t pause here, because it is the end of the story. And if you ever have the opportunity to read the story, do so. Or an abridged version. It is a truly inspiring story.

The narrator is inspired by the beekeeper and continues his work, albeit it in a different manner. He is inspired by an unlikely friend and gets the help of another friend to continue the work. So, from this I think it is important to look actively for friends, colleagues and people who inspire us, and to work actively on what inspires them. Because, honestly, sometimes it is difficult to find something that inspires us.

And the beekeeper taught me that you don’t have to search for recognition to be significant. To do something significant. The only negative for me is: this isn’t actually a true story, despite me desperately hoping that was. So yes, we can learn something even from fiction.

 

 

Looking forward

What are the trees you are planting? Where is the desolate valley you are bringing back to life? There is no need to hike miles to find it. As a teacher, the valley is the classroom and your students. The trees and saplings are the knowledge and insight you provide your students with. And that is the beauty of being an educator.