I’ve​ ​been​ ​in​ ​school​ ​literally​ ​my​ ​entire​ ​life!​ ​Having​ ​been​ ​born​ ​to​ ​two​ ​Lutheran​ ​elementary school​ ​educators,​ ​I​ ​saw​ ​firsthand​ ​the​ ​joys​ ​of​ ​Lutheran,​ ​Christian​ ​education.​ ​Growing​ ​up,​ ​I enjoyed​ ​school​ ​and​ ​all​ ​that​ ​went​ ​along​ ​with​ ​it.​ ​I​ ​remember​ ​playing​ ​basketball​ ​with​ ​the​ ​older​ ​boys at​ ​recess,​ ​spelling​ ​bees,​ ​science​ ​fairs,​ ​sports​ ​teams,​ ​chapel,​ ​projects,​ ​field​ ​trips​ ​and​ ​the​ ​joys​ ​of the​ ​last​ ​day​ ​of​ ​school.​ ​Most​ ​of​ ​all​ ​though,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​the​ ​relationships​ ​that​ ​made​ ​elementary​ ​school special.​ ​I​ ​had​ ​awesome​ ​teachers​ ​who​ ​cared​ ​deeply​ ​about​ ​me,​ ​who​ ​pushed​ ​me​ ​to​ ​be​ ​better,​ ​who played​ ​with​ ​all​ ​of​ ​us​ ​when​ ​appropriate,​ ​but​ ​who​ ​also​ ​kept​ ​us​ ​in​ ​line​ ​when​ ​necessary.

When​ ​I​ ​got​ ​to​ ​high​ ​school​ ​many​ ​things​ ​changed.​ ​However,​ ​one​ ​thing​ ​that​ ​was​ ​the​ ​same was​ ​the​ ​relationships​ ​we​ ​had​ ​with​ ​our​ ​teachers.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​a​ ​sophomore​ ​when​ ​Lutheran​ ​High​ ​School opened​ ​with​ ​grades​ ​nine​ ​and​ ​ten.​ ​We​ ​had​ ​a​ ​very​ ​small​ ​group​ ​of​ ​students​ ​back​ ​then,​ ​so​ ​there was​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​positive​ ​interaction​ ​between​ ​the​ ​teachers​ ​and​ ​us.​ ​Again,​ ​they​ ​took​ ​both​ ​time during​ ​the​ ​school​ ​day​ ​and​ ​also​ ​personal​ ​time,​ ​with​ ​us.​ ​They​ ​provided​ ​fun,​ ​learning​ ​activities​ ​and believed​ ​in​ ​us​ ​-​ ​even​ ​when​ ​we​ ​didn’t​ ​believe​ ​in​ ​ourselves.

I​ ​can’t​ ​recall​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​people​ ​who​ ​provided​ ​support​ ​and​ ​influence​ ​in​ ​my​ ​life.​ ​However, here​ ​are​ ​several​ ​examples​ ​of​ ​Christian​ ​servants​ ​who​ ​influenced​ ​my​ ​decision​ ​to​ ​become​ ​a teacher​ ​-​ ​and,​ ​not​ ​just​ ​a​ ​any​ ​teacher,​ ​a​ ​Lutheran​ ​teacher!​ ​They​ ​include:

My​ ​father,​ ​Jim​ ​Brackman,​ ​who​ ​was​ ​my​ ​elementary​ ​school​ ​principal​ ​and​ ​an​ ​awesome leader​ ​and​ ​influence​ ​in​ ​my​ ​life.

My​ ​mother,​ ​Sandy​ ​Brackman,​ ​who​ ​taught​ ​me​ ​in​ ​the​ ​early​ ​years​ ​and​ ​demonstrated​ ​what it​ ​takes​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​good​ ​teacher​ ​and​ ​parent.

Mr.​ ​Vernie​ ​Scheiber,​ ​one​ ​of​ ​my​ ​most​ ​influential​ ​middle​ ​school​ ​teachers​ ​and​ ​coach; smart,​ ​athletic,​ ​hard-working​ ​and​ ​caring;​ ​Mr.​ ​Scheiber​ ​was​ ​someone​ ​I​ ​could​ ​see​ ​myself emulating​ ​in​ ​life.

Mr.​ ​Ron​ ​Holtmeier,​ ​the​ ​first​ ​administrator​ ​at​ ​Lutheran​ ​High.​ ​He​ ​started​ ​the​ ​school​ ​and gave​ ​countless​ ​hours​ ​to​ ​the​ ​cause.​ ​He​ ​always​ ​had​ ​a​ ​“can-do”​ ​attitude,​ ​even​ ​when​ ​there​ ​were many​ ​reasons​ ​why​ ​something​ ​may​ ​fail.

Mr.​ ​(now​ ​Dr.)​ ​Bernie​ ​Tonjes,​ ​the​ ​first​ ​teacher​ ​Called​ ​to​ ​LHS.​ ​Mr.​ ​Tonjes​ ​built relationships​ ​that​ ​have​ ​lasted​ ​decades.​ ​His​ ​guidance,​ ​servant​ ​attitude​ ​and​ ​leadership​ ​were amazing.

Mrs.​ ​Kathy​ ​O’Connor,​ ​my​ ​high​ ​school​ ​math/science​ ​teacher,​ ​was​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​people​ ​who continually​ ​recommended​ ​I​ ​consider​ ​teaching​ ​(when​ ​I​ ​thought​ ​I​ ​was​ ​going​ ​into​ ​engineering).

If​ ​you​ ​ask​ ​anyone​ ​to​ ​think​ ​back​ ​over​ ​their​ ​life​ ​and​ ​share​ ​who​ ​their​ ​greatest​ ​influencers have​ ​been,​ ​I​ ​expect​ ​you’ll​ ​almost​ ​always​ ​hear​ ​about​ ​teachers​ ​in​ ​their​ ​response.​ ​I​ ​didn’t​ ​know​ ​it then,​ ​but​ ​today​ ​I​ ​can​ ​see​ ​how​ ​God​ ​has​ ​worked​ ​in​ ​my​ ​life​ ​and​ ​led​ ​me​ ​to​ ​the​ ​place​ ​I​ ​am​ ​today… still​ ​in​ ​school!

Tim​ ​Brackman
Principal,​ ​Lutheran​ ​High​ ​School​ ​North,​ ​St.​ ​Louis

Zion​ ​Lutheran,​ ​St.​ ​Charles,​ ​MO​ ​-​ ​℅​ ​1981 Lutheran​ ​High​ ​School,​ ​St.​ ​Charles,​ ​MO​ ​-​ ​℅​ ​1985 Concordia​ ​University,​ ​NE​ ​-​ ​℅​ ​1989