We all had a favorite teacher growing up—a special mentor who was always there for us. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find an educator who cares more about his students than Mark Gaffey, a Columbus, OH pre-algebra teacher who recently went the extra mile by getting a life-size tattoo of one of his students. Inspiring!
It may sound like something straight out of Dead Poets Society, but this is the real deal. When Gaffey saw that one of his students at Ridgeview Middle School, Brad Nichols, was struggling to keep up, he knew he had to do something.
So, when Brad walked into his classroom last week, he was surprised to see his math teacher unbuttoning his shirt in front of the whole class, only to reveal a 5’1” likeness of Brad himself on his body. Amazing!
“I see my job as more than just standing in front of a classroom and reciting a bunch of formulas,” said Gaffey, who was willing to spend thousands of dollars and endure nine grueling sessions in a tattoo artist’s chair to connect with his pupil. “I want to find the best way to reach each and every one of my students. Whether that means one-on-one tutoring after class or having their likeness permanently etched onto my skin, I’ve got to be willing to do whatever it takes.”
Talk about dedication! We sure wish we had a teacher like Mr. Gaffey when we were in school!
