Many may know Mr. Bookis as Concord Carlisle High School’s beloved math teacher, and Dad joke extraordinaire, but he also has many lessons to teach us that extend beyond the classroom.
LESSON #1: FIND PURPOSE, NOT JUST A JOB
Mr. Bookis’ path to teaching was not a direct route. From graduating from Colby with a degree in business administration to the hustle and bustle on Wall Street as an accounting clerk, Mr. Bookis “quickly realized that [his] personality and interests weren’t suited to an operations area.” As someone who “loved high school and wanted to share my joy of learning math,” along with even “soccer, baseball, and theater,” he decided to “teach math, coach two sports, direct student and faculty plays, and to run a dormitory” as these things brought fulfillment to his life. For Mr. Bookis, it wasn’t just a job change; it was leaving behind a path to pursue his true calling for teaching. It’s as if he was destined to find his way into education, considering Mr. Bookis comes from “a family of educators.” His “father taught Social Studies in Manhattan,” and his “mother taught AP English in New Jersey.”
LESSON #2: STAY HUMBLE AND KEEP LEARNING
It’s rather impressive to think that with three decades of experience as a math teacher, Mr. Bookis says that he still “learn[s] so much from [his] students.” He has many role models in his life, including “Mr. Coughlin, [his] high school math teacher, Advisor, and Varsity soccer coach,” as well as his “parents and other teaching mentors along [his] journey”. While he feels “wisdom comes with age”, he also makes sure to note that we can “expect to learn a lot from every new or younger colleague who joins you in the workspace” while also encouraging others to “soak in all that you can from seasoned teachers while staying current on all forms of pedagogy.” Additionally, he admits that students further add to his love for learning and continue to help him grow as an educator, too.
He says, “I am continuously reminded, even in my thirty-fourth year, that I still learn so much from my students. You bring your imagination, creativity, and fresh perspective to problem-solving, occasionally with more elegant solutions than I present! I do state at the beginning of the year that all of my students can teach me something. In fact, I expect it.”
LESSON #3: IT’S OK TO FAIL SOMETIMES
As a teacher, he stresses the importance of recognizing that we are all human beings with strengths and struggles. Mr. Bookis has learned that patience is essential when students struggle, as he recognizes that students come from all walks of life. He notes, “raising adolescents in [his] own house helped… [make him] a better father and more understanding educator.” As he puts it, his “kids ‘did school’ well, but they also needed to decompress at home, not always perform at a high level, and to even fail along the way. I witnessed the tears the feelings of inadequacy and awkwardness that all kids feel… I always remember, in conferences with parents and guardians, that you all are someone’s child, loved deeply and unconditionally.”
LESSON #4: RELATIONSHIPS & APPRECIATION FOR LIFE
Mr. Bookis has many people he feels have been influential in his life, especially in their positive impact on him. Bookis shares, “Firstly, I adore Mrs. Bookis. She, my extended family, and friends are sources for recharging my batteries. Everyone around us is truly a blessing and affords us opportunities for human connection and personal growth.”
As many of us found during COVID, life and what we appreciate most seemed to shift toward the people in our lives. Bookis shares, “Each year brings a new opportunity to share the joy of learning anything; this is more deeply and keenly appreciated after COVID-19 took away all the normalcy from our lives that we might have taken for granted. I know that I did.”
Now, he is more intentional with bringing his “life experiences and Dad jokes to share with all of you” at school. Similarly, he enjoys “watching you challenge yourselves in the studio or on stage, debating after school or volunteering to others.” This, for him, is “a constant source of inspiration.” He goes on to note that he “see[s] you working at the supermarket or a restaurant,” knowing that many of you ‘unassumingly take care of a sibling or a grandparent” and still show up and try your best. In watching all of the hard work you all put in, he says that it reminds him to “push myself to grow and not be complacent… to teach a new course, to take advantage of the professional development and to find new challenges.” He goes on to explain further that he is “reminded of my students’ experience when I try to learn something new of which I know little and in which I am not very confident in my abilities. Patience is a virtue as an educator. Wait time remains something I can and must improve. Everyone needs the time to ponder, to reflect in complete silence.”
LESSON #5: STAY INFORMED & GRATEFUL IN A CHANGING WORLD
With so much wisdom to impart, Bookis concluded that he “envision[s] teachers must continue to help young people to think critically and creatively as we take on the awesome challenges in the world going forward. Equally important is our ability to model citizenship and do constructive and good deeds. There are inspiring examples around us: how we care for this planet and one another. We must see the truth, not lazily accept things we hear or entertain hearsay. Teachers must remain informed and unbiased dealers in the facts. We must all help you to question things that don’t sound right. Lastly, we must all remain life-long learners as well. I am grateful for all I have learned from the thousands of students who have passed in and out of my life.”
Taking a tip out of Mr. Bookis’ own words of wisdom, The Voice is exceptionally grateful for you, too, Mr. Bookis!
