The Thread That Runs So True

Jesse Stuart’s autobiography, “The Thread That Runs So True” helps both students and teachers perceive the concept of teaching and how it affects one's life. The author faces many challenging situations while educating his students and sacrifices all he can for the love of his career. He fights and strives to make situations fair for his community. He continues instructing and inspiring other teachers to withhold through the multiple hardships they all have to undergo. Stuart brings many diverse ideas to his way of teaching, attempting to work with his students instead of working against them. Throughout the book, Jesse Stuart often shows his deep affection for his students and their education.
More than once during the novel, Jesse battles for unity and appreciation from the community. For example, Guy Hawkins threatened both Jesse and the school. He fought Jesse and lost. The next day, Guy called Jesse “Mr. Stuart" showing him respect. In addition to that, Jesse argued with his fellow school board members, his home county, and the law to try and solve many of the problems he encountered. Jesse scrawls many papers and even starts his own newspaper to try and make a change to the old ways that were no longer working. He tries to give everyone compensation and impartiality and spread the news of it all. Jesse always takes on his dilemmas straightforward and never slows down.
Jesse Stuart also stands up for his beliefs. After all the Greenwood County teachers stop acquiring pay, Jesse goes straight into action and tries his hardest to help them. He continually goes around to all of the schools as often as he can to keep the unpaid teachers spirits high. The teachers continue to work, even though they work without pay or without knowing when or if they would ever receive pay. Jesse even says, “They kept working, harder now, it seemed to me, than ever before.” And as soon as Jesse finds out the neighboring counties pay their teachers decent wages from the non-restricted taxes, he takes action and writes hundreds of articles to multiple newspapers and tries to fight the injustice. Even though he saccrifices and loses his job he doesn’t give up and keeps working to get justice and equality for the teachers that truly deserve it.
Throughout the novel, Jesse strongly believes that teaching directly influences the future of the minds of America. He introduces a new, successful way of teaching; learning to work by play and play by work. He makes learning fun for his pupils instead of boring. All the students that have attended come to his classroom poor but hungry for education. Whenever he sees great aptitude for a student, he always tries to give his best for them. He never lets a student waste their talent when they are driven and ready to learn. Jesse insure his students understand that he works for them and not against them. He also makes sure they notice the difference between leading and threatening. He believes that each and every teacher accomplishes his or her goal and holds the responsibility of the destiny of America because the students come under his or her influence, and the schoolroom holds the gateway to all the problems of humanity.
Jesse Stuart, being a young idealistic person, gives all he can for his proffesion. He fights for what he believes in and vigorously gains respect throughout his community. Jesse encourages teachers of his county to continue teaching even though the teachers lack equal pay. Jesse goes around materializing new ideas and attempts to settle all the complications that are thrown at him. He plays and learns with his students. Through the entirety of the novel, he transcends at each position he holds including: a simple schoolhouse teacher, a superintendent, a high school teacher, and even a sheep farmer. This autobiography is successful in changing the reader’s view on teachers and the education system.