With newsfeeds filled with examples of schooling, school boards, and especially educators gone so awry that it’s difficult to still call what they are doing “education,” a recent viral clip of a teacher in action is incredibly refreshing. Confronted by a student who asked him about author J.K. Rowling’s so-called “transphobia,” this teacher patiently and carefully asked clarifying questions, and in the process demonstrated what critical thinking can accomplish in this age of Critical Theory. Without shaming the student, teacher Warren Smith led him to examine his assumptions in such a way that the young man eventually changed his mind. 

Of course, it shouldn’t be news when a teacher leads a student out of ignorance. After all, that’s what the word “education” actually means. But it is worth recognizing someone who demonstrates this kind of mastery of their vocation, especially in the arena of education where it can seem in short supply.