Lincoln ES teacher Marc Kornblatt was one of six Madison area writers chosen to read their "This I Believe" essay for a public program in November at Borders Books. Kornblatt's previously-submitted essay to the National Public Radio program is about his approach to educating "children", not "kids".

This essay was also chosen for an upcoming article in the magazine of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.

This I believe
by Marc Kornblatt, 5th grade teacher, Lincoln Elementary School

I believe in Dominic, a hot-tempered, athletic boy with gray-blue eyes, caramel skin, and the loudest voice I ever heard.

I believe in Rose, too, a girl who can stare me down with scorn for not calling on her during social studies, then at recess jab me in the chest and confide, "I'm giving you a poke," with an all-forgiving smile.

I also believe in Dallas, who can't stay in his seat, Teng, a quiet child, Cybel, a dreamer, and all the other youngsters who were part of my fifth grade classroom this year at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School.

"So, Mr. K.," Glenda, the cut-to-the-chase girl, would demand, "What's your point?"

The point is that I believe in children, but I avoid calling them kids. That's disrespectful. A kid is a baby goat. I try not to call my students guys, either, because, as we learned in human growth and development, the world contains males and females. I believe in teaching human growth and development, evolution and creationism. I believe teachers should be able to talk about anything, so long as they're respectful. I really believe in respect.

My students know that I wear hats out of respect for my G-d. They also know that I don't celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas in school, because I respect Church and State separation.

That said, this year my students were probably among a small number of elementary school children who studied the pagan and Christian sources for Valentine's Day. They also learned that the Church removed Valentine from its list of saints, because there were at least three different men by that name. I didn't hand out candy or cards on February 14th, but my students were free to do so. The point is, I respect, and believe in, the Constitution.

I believe in the future, too. That's why at 44 I returned to college to earn a teaching degree. Having finished my fourth year working in a public school where most students are poor, children of color, many from one-parent homes, I can't wait to start my fifth. I believed in leaving no child behind before that concept became a political football.

I also believe in football, but not in class. The same goes for basketball and soccer. By now Dominic should know that a classroom is where you learn math, read books and figure out what makes a good science experiment. You pass, dribble or kick your ball in my room, then your ball is mine, bro.

Dominic, tough guy that he is, wrote this the last week of school.

"Dear Mr. Kornblatt, Thank you for this lovely year... You really dug deep inside to get me to be the best I can be... It will be different in sixth grade without you. I will come back and visit mostly every day. I think."

That coda says it all for its honesty and the big idea I try to teach. I believe in the word "think."

This I Believe essay, ©2007 by Marc Kornblatt. Reprinted by arrangement with This I Believe, Inc. (www.thisibelieve.org). To read and hear other essays, and to download the free This I Believe curriculum, visit www.thisibelieve.org.