Would you go back just to say hello?

Mr. and Mrs. Reformer went to parent night at Junior Reformer's high school not too long ago.

It's hard to get an idea of what the ol' sprout's teachers are really like in just a matter of minutes. They all seem nice, of course; but we're all on our best behavior at times such as these.

But there are some things that just can't be faked...

Take Junior's world history teacher, for example. We entered the classroom knowing nothing about this man. No advance intelligence, no neighbor kids raving good things or bad about him.

He was a blank slate to us.

The room was filled, which was not unexpected, but there were lots of students without parents hanging out in the back. "What's up with that?" we wondered.

It turns out they weren't students at all; they were graduates. They had come back to say hello to a teacher who had really made a difference in their lives. This is apparently a man who has a rare ability to connect with the kids, to make the material stand out and who inspires former students to take a night out of their lives to go back to their old high school -- the very place they rejoiced upon graduating just three months ago -- to bask in the warmth of a teacher who made them love learning.

This is what school is all about, folks. I bet this teacher does not grouse to students about lousy pay. He does not moan about standardized testing or idiotic administrators. I'm sure he does expect a lot out of his students and he knows the subject inside and out. He demands that they join a service club on campus, and no job is too big or small. In other words, this teacher lives in the real world, teaches to the real world, and the students know it.

This man does not need any accolades from me. He does not need his name in the paper or on some plaque.

This is a teacher. And his reward is the people standing in the back of the room.