Written By: Robyn Shulman, Follow me on Google

The Priority List was writen by David Menasch; he is a former high school teacher who made a vast difference in the classroom-even when the odds were not in his favor.

Do you have a priority list?
David Menasch does.

When we look back at our education, most of our greatest memories stem from the relationships we made with our peers and our teachers. It is easy to remember how we felt, whom we trusted, and those who made a difference in our lives by simply being there and listening. Our best teachers leave these impressions; they make our memories of school filled with purpose and meaning. Take a look back at your own education, how much academic knowledge do you truly remember from high school or elementary school? Do you remember how to diagram a sentence? Do you remember all of the vocabulary words you needed to remember for state tests? Probably not-you remember those who stood out in your life, who encouraged you, who listened without judgment. Those were the special teachers; the teachers all of the kids wanted. The teachers who took the 5 extra minutes, who pushed you a bit harder to encourage your own abilities, the teachers who truly cared.

As online education grows, the topic of student and teacher relationships comes to the surface quite often. Relationships with our students is still the glue that bonds us together in a school community. Without these relationships, arms of support, our classrooms feel empty; negative attitudes about school quickly grow.

The Priority List: A Teacher’s Final Quest To Discover Life’s Greatest Lessons

Meet David Menasche, a high school teacher who made a vast difference in the classroom. However, his journey is a bit different. David has a brain tumor and is not able to teach in a regular classroom setting. He lost a great amount of vision and he walks with a cane due to the challenges his body faces from cancer.

However, he walks with his head high, a smile on his face, and he shares his remarkable journey, through his new book, The Priority List.  David traveled throughout the country visiting his former students to see how they were doing-how their lives turned out. His bravery and commitment to those he taught is the epitome of the vast importance of student and teacher relationships.

David Menasche was recently on CNN discussing his journey, and his new book is out: The Priority List.

See his video here:

I cried at the end of every chapter in The Priority List. I felt so inspired by his massive bravery as he traveled to see so many of his students-without letting his physical challenges hold him back.

If you read one book this year, I implore you to read this story. Share it with your colleagues, staff and students. We all need inspiration-and David, thank you for sharing your courage, your inspiration, and your personal story with us. I also thank you for reminding us how important our relationships are with our students. As wonderful as technology is, we must never forget that human kindness and connection must come first. It is our responsibility to be the example-to guide with grace, to listen instead of hear, and to let go of fear of the unknown.

Updates on David Menasche can be found on his facebook page.

Nobody lives forever, what is on your priority list?