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The Alchemy of Teaching

By Bill Ferriter

One of the things that defines me is the silver dollar that I carry in my pocket most every day. I’ve been carrying one for the better part of my 16 years as a classroom teacher, and I’ve been fascinated with them since I was a kid and our next door neighbor started giving me one each Halloween while I was trick-or-treating.

There’s just something neat about silver dollars. They’re a great size for flipping and spinning—an important quality in a coin for a fidgety guy like me—and they let you carry history in your hand. My favorites are Peace Silver Dollars . Not only are they a beautiful remembrance of the end of World War I, they were in wide circulation during the Great Depression. When I’m carrying a Peace Silver Dollar, I love to imagine how important that coin probably was to a father struggling to feed his family, or a retiree working to make ends meet during one of the most challenging times in our nation’s history. I’m a bit of a geek that way.

Silver dollars carry an even more important meaning for me today, though. You see, several years ago, I needed a small gift to give to my 8th grade boys basketball players during their final home game. “It’s kind of like our Senior Day,” the girls’ coach explained to me. “I’m giving my girls roses. Do you want me to pick some...