Guided by Education

Dr. Newton Hodgson, 91, is a resident at Sunrise of Decatur, Georgia. His belief in reading and education has been a defining focus of his life.

“I didn’t come from a teaching family. My father was an M.D. My mother was a housewife. I had three brothers and three sisters, none of whom became teachers. I was very lucky. I had a house full of books and people who read to me, which I feel is essential.

An Early Love of Reading
“There should be a category of teachers who go house to house, making sure every kid has the experience of being read to. Mother read to us all the time, and I think that had a lot to do with my interest in reading. But also I was by myself a lot as a child, and there were all kinds of wonderful books at home. I found the work of Rudyard Kipling and other books, which were very, very entrancing to me as a child, so I began reading very early. When I went to school, I was the pride of the first and second grade because I could read!

“When my mother read to us, she really read—the inflection of her voice would change—and I picked that up naturally. I knew my profession would be something that involved reading and wordsmithing.

Teaching the Teachers
“I studied English and education at Antioch College and then taught at private schools almost exclusively, which was lucky, as there you have small classes and good support. Later I became associate professor of education at Ohio State University, then associate professor at Emory University. I taught teachers how to teach. Teaching was all I ever did.

“What I liked most about teaching was the association with young people and the efforts to get them interested in things that I thought were interesting. You have to deal with a whole variety of young minds, which sometimes can be exciting, and sometimes very frustrating. It’s a challenge to communicate to them your own affection for teaching, people, and study, but ultimately very rewarding.

Looking to Make a Connection
“There was a lot of informal activity, in which I tried to relate to the kids on a human level rather than that of an authority figure. I always wanted to spark their interest in things that would help them along the way. It’s terribly frustrating when you’re not connecting, but the times when you do connect … ah, well, that’s why teachers teach!

“Education, particularly nowadays, is something that you just can’t live very well without. The best thing to have is a mother who reads well, and whom you adore, who makes you want to put off going to bed for as long as you can, so she’ll read to you longer. That will get you on the right path.”