Thomas R. Klassen’s Post

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York University

𝟱𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 My first job was delivering the morning newspaper in my neighborhood. I learned the importance of showing up on time. During high school I worked at my local library. I learned that being able to find information and answer questions is valued in all situations. While a university student I had a variety of summer jobs: delivering mail for the post office, maintaining local parks, taking children on camping trips, and an office job for a government department. One sunny summer day I happened to look out the window of the government office tower lunchroom to see a dark object burst through the glass of the building opposite and plummet to the ground. It took my brain seconds to register that I had seen a suicide. To the present, when facing my own troubles, I try to imagine the feelings that must have driven that man to see no future for himself. After completing university, I obtained my dream job of working for the government. I quickly learned how little I knew about the complexity of the public service. I also learned that I had been right: working in the public sector is incredible fulfilling. I like to think that my small contributions – research, analysis, and recommendations – had a positive impact on government programs. Although I had my dream job, I realized I lacked the passion for a long-term career in government. I am grateful to individuals at several universities who allowed me opportunities to teach part-time, on contract and finally on a full-time basis. They saw something in me that I did not see myself. Over more than 30 years I have had many workplace colleagues and friends in academia. They taught me that gentle is usually better than strong; that ability matters, not disability; that patience is usually the superior strategy; and that perseverance does often succeed. The tools of teaching have changed over the years from chalk and transparencies to smart screens and e-books, but the task remains the same: to help young people understand the world, and their place in it. #education #learning #universities #careers #yorkuniversity

And your reach stretches around the globe, to places and people you probably never thought of. I used to listen to the mp3 recordings of your sociology lectures when I was schooling in Nigeria, and they were crucial to helping me pass. I even sent you an email and you replied. 😀

Alexis Buettgen

Researcher, Educator and Advocate | Assistant Professor, Community Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University

8mo

Beautifully written...as always :)

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What rich experiences you've had Tom! And expressed so eloquently 👏🏼

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