Coming down to his final days as a teacher at Oceanside Middle School, Brian Murphy searched for a way to express his feelings toward his students. It has been their strength and support he says, that has carried him through the last few months since he learned he would not be tenured.
He searched for the words, but instead he played a song for his class. "Forever Young," by Rod Stewart. "I thought the song was relevant in this situation," Murphy said. "I wanted them to know how special they all are."
"Everything you taught me affects me in my everyday life," Michael Caprino wrote in a final letter to Murphy. He wasn't the only student to express love and passion for the man who has meant so much to them. Murphy displayed a book he had put together with letters from students, parents and his colleagues at OMS.
"It's hard to say what I'm feeling right now because it just ended," Murphy said. "The kids and their family made me feel so good. It was an uplifting experience."
Since beginning his battle with the Oceanside School District, Murphy has struggled both mentally and physically. Mentally, the daily strain has taken a toll on him. The former OMS social studies teacher has had to face the fact that he would be unemployed, something that he says will hurt his family.
With his financial status in doubt, Murphy remains positive. "I feel confident in the justice and court system," he said. "We will prevail. It could take us a long time, but I am confident."
Already Murphy has had to tell his daughter she couldn't take graduate courses this summer, and he has broken the news to his son that he couldn't be part of a summer program at Cornell. "It's hurt our family, but the kids, they understand," Murphy said.
At a party held for him last week, students and parents came together to show Murphy what a big part of their lives he's become. One of his students embraced Murphy, holding him tightly, almost refusing to let go. As the student began to sob, Murphy found it hard to contain his own emotions.
Murphy's popularity has soared, not only as a beloved teacher, but now as a man refusing to give up. A sympathetic figure facing adversity. We've all been in his shoes --on a smaller scale -- at some time or another. The more students and parents have learned about his situation the more they've rallied around him.
In his living room, Murphy proudly showed me a balloon sporting the phrase, "United We Stand." While the term has come to be known as something of a national theme since Sept. 11, 2001, the students have adopted it in their fight to keep Mr. Murphy in their classroom. At school board meetings, each time a student stood up to speak on Murphy's behalf, fellow students stood up as well, a sign of unity.
Maybe Murphy is not a conventional teacher. His students say he brings life to a lesson, even going as far as bringing his parents into his classroom. His father fought in World War II. Murphy wanted his students to understand what that was like, and what better way than to hear it from someone who was there?
No matter what happens in months to come, no matter where Brian Murphy ends up, one thing is certain: The impact he made on his students will last a lifetime.
