Episode 103: Impactful Life Lessons After Nearly 30 Years, with Rick Shinn

Nearly 30 years ago, Sophia walked into Rick Shinn’s 9th grade Honors English class at Independence High School in San Jose, her first honors class ever, and within a few weeks he was her favorite teacher. Six months in, he told the class he was leaving to become a school counselor, and she was devastated, right up until she spent the next three years slipping into his counseling office whenever things got hard at home, then walking back to class with a note he’d written for her.
On a trip back to the Bay Area, Tim and Sophia sat down at Rick’s dining room table, after a sukiyaki dinner he and his wife Christine made for them, to talk about 39 years of teaching and counseling. He’s newly retired now and studying to become a pastor, and he still remembers the phone call Sophia made to him on 9/11, a couple of weeks into her freshman year at George Washington University, asking whether she should take her camera over to the Pentagon (she went anyway).
Rick tells the story of a student who slammed her books down on test day and swore at him, and what he learned when he asked her what was wrong instead of writing a referral. He also tells about the bowl of pho he bought a freshman for pulling an F up to a C. He talks openly about growing up Chinese American with a dad who told everyone else he was proud of Rick but never said it to Rick, and how that changed the way he raised his own daughter. Sophia went on to study clinical psychology partly because of him, and in this episode she finally gets to say thank you.
They also get into ChatGPT in the classroom, and Rick’s advice for young people who’ve been told to “find your passion” and can’t pick just one: start with what you’re good at.
Tim and Sophia recorded this one partly for their daughters, so they could meet the man who looked out for their mom when she was the same age their oldest is now.
If a teacher ever showed up for you the way Mr. Shinn showed up for Sophia, we’d love to hear about them. Come tell us their name in the free Call To Farms community at calltofarms.com, and if you can, call that teacher and tell them too, because as Rick says in this episode, teachers almost never get to hear it.
Until next time, stay healthy.
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Thinking of purchasing your first home? Join Tim and Sophia at our next Free Home Buyer's Workshop on Oct 29th at 4pm PST / 7pm EST. ⁠⁠⁠Save Your Seat Here! (calltofarms.circle.so/c/upcoming-events/octobe…)