Introduction

A lot of stuff has been said, but I’d like to ask Robert to come on up here. We’ve heard a lot about him — and most of y’all know his name. A couple of the students, one in particular, forgot his name — but that’s okay.

Robert’s Opening

Well, hello everybody. It’s always nice to see the group and everyone showing up — as much as your family can — for this. This is always a really neat experience for me.

I had my own business for 28 years and have been in the industry for… I can’t even fathom anymore — it feels like forever.

I’m still in the industry, but now I’m passing on all the knowledge I’ve gained through my trials and tribulations — and let me tell you, they didn’t come from a school.

Learning the Hard Way

There was no school for me. When I started doing this, the unions were closing up, things were shutting down — there just wasn’t anything. So, I had to learn by making mistakes.

And when you learn by making mistakes, you learn not to do them again. That’s how it works.

To make a mistake is not a bad thing — it’s just a new learning experience. So, I always tell people:

Don’t be afraid of making a mistake.
If you make one — so what? Learn from it. Move on. Don’t make a big deal out of it.
Look forward — don’t look back.
You can’t change the past, but you can change your future.

Watching Students Grow

This is always fun for me — watching everybody struggle. And I mean that in a good way. This is my fourth class, I think.

It’s always interesting to watch the first few weeks. Everyone struggles — flopping around like fish on a boat. But pretty soon, we figure it out. We throw them back in the river, and they start to swim.

And eventually, they make it to the ocean. They’re swimming on their own. They’re doing their own thing.

And it’s just really neat to watch.

Why I Teach

That’s what motivates me in this. I wanted to retire. I got bored.

I thought, “What can I do?” I didn’t want to work 8 hours a day anymore. I’ve done that forever, and I’m tired. My body is tired.

So I went to Danny and said, “Danny…”
And he said, “You’re gonna be a good teacher.”
I said, “Oh no.”
And he said again, “No — you are gonna be a good teacher.”
So I said, “Okay, okay. I’ll give it a try.”

Now I’ve gone through my fourth class, watching students really learn and comprehend this stuff — watching their sense of pride grow.

Closing Message

It’s just neat.

I just want to thank this whole class — because you guys have been really fun to teach. I mean that. It’s been a real blast.

Sure, there have been times I’ve had trouble with people — but that’s part of the process. You’re supposed to struggle. That’s how you grow.

We’re here to challenge you so that eventually, you get it. And it’s neat to watch all of you — the students, your families — it’s just a great experience.

I just want to say thank you.
Thank God.
And way to go, guys.