For 24 years, Iola Middle School history teacher Mark Boyd delivered his lessons while standing at the front of his classroom. He looked upon a sea of rambunctious eighth grade faces, watching through the course of the school year as they transitioned from children to teenagers on the cusp of adulthood.
He kept a watchful eye on the students in the back of the classroom, ready to intervene if they started to act up. He delighted as their conversations evolved into more a mature understanding of the world around them.
Now, his perspective has changed.
He spends most of his time seated in a wheelchair, after a stroke last summer left him with very limited control of the left side of his body. His new vantage point doesn?t allow him to see the back of the classroom. He has to trust those kids to behave.
He?s had to adapt his teaching style, with more discussion and fewer hands-on or group activities.
Mark and Patti Boyd, with daughters Emily, left, and Clara, right, pose for a picture at Christmas. COURTESY PHOTO
He even sees the students a little differently. They?re still kids, of course. They still have moments when they misbehave. They struggle to fit into an ever-changing world with the new challenges that come from social media, bullying and the like.
But they understand his condition more than he expected.
?I have an uncle who had a stroke,? one student told him. For another, it was a grandparent. Others watched family members and friends cope with a variety of ailments.
They can relate. They are sympathetic.
They encourage him. They ask for regular updates on his physical therapy and cheer his progress.
?I don?t know that we?ve gotten into it too deeply, but they are not totally mystified,? he said. ?I told them, I don?t really understand what happened to my brain.?
He also has the encouragement of his fellow teachers, staff and school administrators. During his recovery, Principal Brad Crusinbery and his wife, IMS counselor Stacey, were among the many friends and family members who pitched into take care of the Boyd home and animals.
And the support continues when Mark travels to Allen County Regional Hospital for physical therapy. Therapist Ben Taylor is a parent of children Mark has taught. Another therapist, Drew Mueller, is a former student. They know him on a deeper level than simply as a patient.
?All the connections are valuable,? Mark said. ?It helps.?
Mark?s wife, Patti, credits all of that support ? from family, friends, school and hospital staff, and even the students themselves ? for allowing her husband to keep hold of something so essential during a very difficult time.
In spite of his stroke, Mark is still a teacher.
