The role of a teacher far exceeds the instruction given in the classroom. A child spends more waking hours in school then in home. So a teacher doesn’t just teach their material, but teachers play a primary role in the guidance and direction of a child and have the ability to influence and impact that child’s life. There is a Jewish concept that one must educate each child according to his or her own way. Each child must receive the individualized approach needed to best succeed. In the case of 13-year-old Damien, what he needed was far more than any teacher could have been expected to give. But Finn Lanning is not your ordinary teacher. He is exceptional, in every way. When he heard that Damien was in desperate need of both a kidney transplant and a stable home, Lanning became his foster parent. And now is in the process to adopt him. Lanning has not only given Damien a chance at a healthy life, but he has provided him with a home filled with support, acceptance and love, things little Damien has never had. And in doing so, Lanning has not only taught everyone about true empathy, but he has taught himself that he is capable of things he didn’t think were possible.
