It makes perfect sense that before he went into education Robert Lauder was a poet. By celebrating the beauty and humor in the ordinary, day-to-day interactions with others, Bo showed me the joy and power of effective teaching. As a sixteen year old adolescent, I had no idea that by creating a refuge in the Dean of Students Office, Bo Lauder was, in fact, crafting a classroom. When I, or any number of my hearty band of academic misfits, took shelter from "real school" in Bo's office, we failed to realize that we were subtly, tactfully being educated in the art of creating a successful and creative "learning environment." Like any great teacher Bo modeled more then instructed. His lessons were nothing more then a hook, a path and a safe atmosphere for exploration. By providing casual banter, good-natured jostling and a non-judgmental sounding board, Bo exhibited the characteristics of teaching that I aspire to bring to my own classroom today. Looking back on those lazy afternoons, shooting the breeze and laughing about nothing, it becomes crystal clear that Bo truly enjoyed his job. He never left his door open out of obligation- most other teachers would shoe me away unless I arrived with a specific question or structured agenda for their time. He never glossed over as I droned on about the pitfalls and challenges of being a teenager, the novelty of which I was certain but in reality had been vented to him countless times by countless adolescents before me. Quite simply, Bo was always there because he enjoyed his time with his students.
To find joy in my work is to find joy in the everyday interactions with those around me. This, I realize today, is the key to being a successful teacher. My friends and I returned to "Lauder's" office day after day because it was a place to feel wanted, listened to, validated. It was a place to smile, to joke or merely to sit back and breathe. Being welcomed into Bo's office with nothing specific to say or nothing consciously on my mind, made it a natural haven for those times when real challenges emerged, insecurities took hold or epiphanies blossomed. This, I now understand, is what a classroom should be.
Since his days as teacher and dean, Bo has since become a principal and highly regarded Head of School. His success, however, has never hampered his ability to find joy in the students he surrounds himself with. Today, my friends and I still find paths leading back to "Lauder's" office. Through email, phone calls, group get-togethers or a surprise office visit, his door remains open. Though changing in size and location over the years, I still think of Bo's office as the best classroom I have ever been in.
Like a true poet, Bo is able to observe and appreciate the world around him without interfering with its inevitable changes. By reflecting upon casual, day-to-day experience, Bo’s lessons are open ended enough to allow each student to take ownership over his or her own growth. Through the years, as I have changed from student to graduate to intern to educator, I increasingly find myself drawing on my time spent in Bo’s “class.” As a teacher today, I look forward to having my former students return to my classroom, eager to discuss nothing in particular in order to discover on their own lessons about life. I look forward to creating a “Lauder’s office” in my own school, a refuge for students to casually stumble upon the joy and beauty that can be found in a safe, comfortable and ultimately successful school environment.
--Dan Ceaser, American University