INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The first year in any school is a memorable one for an educator. While every class has its own personality, it’s fair to say that exactly which year it was that a certain group of young people graduated can become a question over time.Such is not true of the first year in a school, and as I complete my first year at Lake Tahoe School, I am confident that I will always be able to identify just who was in the Class of 2012. Any principal of any school completing a first year anywhere could say the same.We adults like to think that we teach the children in our lives — and we do. Teachers and parents alike, we like to believe that we have imparted important lessons — and we have.What we sometimes fail to stop and consider is just how much we have learned from our children, the critical lessons they have imparted. This year’s graduates, as always, were charged with choosing one teacher within the school community to speak at graduation.The Class of 2012 has, once again provided all of us with a significant lesson in their selection of a speaker. They chose one of their best teachers, though not one you will find in one of our formal classrooms.Mark Brockway, whose official title is Director of Facilities and Security, is so much more than that. Or, perhaps, that’s exactly what he is: Director of Security. Every student is safe in his company. I am not sure there is anyone on staff who knows our graduates better than Mr. Mark. He met them the first day they arrived on campus, whether they enrolled as 3-year olds or in 7th grade.It makes no difference to Mr. Mark whether or not a student is academically gifted or coming to us a bit behind. He doesn’t care whether they are whizzes at art or science or PE — or nothing in particular. The message he gives every child at Lake Tahoe School is that she is valued, appreciated, and recognized for his own strengths.At the same time, he makes it clear to students that they are to act as responsible citizens within our walls — and out — meaning they should take care of school property and each other. I learned rather early that if I wanted to know what really makes a child tick, I should ask Mr. Mark. As I speak to parents considering bringing their children to Lake Tahoe School, I tell them that one of our greatest strengths lies in the passion, commitment, and experience of our teachers, all of our teachers. The last great lesson given us by the Class of 2012 is that every member of our community is a teacher of import. Let us never forget the responsibilities we carry as such.— Ruth Glass is headmaster at Lake Tahoe School. She can be reached for comment through her blog at www.laketahoeschool.org.