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“Do you remember your first day being a teacher?”

Ron Cushman spent nearly 30 years teaching kindergarten in Bothell, Washington, a suburb outside of Seattle.

But he hadn’t always planned on becoming a teacher.

As Ron told his former student, Jamie Marks, his journey to the kindergaten classroom began when he was wounded in Vietnam.

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Recorded in Bothell, WA.

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Credits

Produced by Katie Simon with Anita Rao.

Facilitated by Jasmyn Belcher.

Transcript

Click here to read the transcript for this story.

Interview transcript

Ron Cushman (RC): I was a scout in the Marine Corps, and I must have stepped on a land mine or a booby-trap. That’s all I remember. My right hand--it was just all mangled up, and I did have it amputated. When I was in the hospital, you had to kinda think about what are you going to do for the rest of your life. 'Cause I was only 19 or 20. And then I did remember that there was a gym teacher back in 6th grade who said to me, “You know, you ought to be a teacher." I don’t know why he said it, but I remember that did stick with me through all the years. And it popped out of my head, "I could be a teacher."

Jamie Marks (JM): Do you remember your first day at being a teacher?

RC: Yeah, I remember being really really nervous and scared. And, I wore a hook on my hand. I remember walking on the playground. This mob of kids, they just came running over at me. And they were just gawking and staring. I folded my arms I’d kinda hide it. But they were curious. So, every year, like on the first day of school, I’d take out the prosthetic arm and then we’d pass it around and ask questions and they play Captain Hook or they do whatever. And, as long as you were open and playful and answer all their questions...It was only a big deal for bout an hour or two.

JM: Yeah [laughs]...

RC: And kids like you, Jamie, we kinda clicked.

JM: Yeah, there was definitely something passed the "I'm going to teach you the alphabet, and then you're gonna forget me in second grade." And, I live in a split family and so I've never really had someone that’s like always been there. And you've always been stable, throughout everything, you've been there with a lot of the huge stages in my life.

RC: Remember driving last spring?

JM: [laughs] Yeah.

RC: I taught you how to drive.

JM: And you were there when I got my driver's license.

RC: Yeah, I remember. And that's what I want to give. It's not just fun, but I want there to be meaning. I want to be a lasting impression.

JM: You know, it really is a privilege to be able to say that I know you, you know. I guess just thank you, for everything, you know.

RC: Yeah, it goes right back at you.