The Power of a Nondescript Coffee Cup

Gerry Brooks' Most Important Lesson

Gerry Brooks, an experienced educator, YouTube star and motivational speaker, is known for using object lessons and humor to inspire. One of his most powerful and enduring lessons revolves around a nondescript coffee cup purchased for just $1.25. This simple coffee cup, though seemingly insignificant, holds profound meaning and teaches a critical lesson about dignity, empathy, and the impact educators have on their students.

Barbie Boy
“When I was growing up, my generation celebrated Christmas. We had a big tradition in school that each class had a Christmas party and a gift exchange. Students brought a boy gift or girl gift and put it under the tree.  On the last day before Christmas break, everybody took a gift from under the tree,” explained Brooks.

As a third-grader, Brooks was eager to contribute. His gift of choice was a set of water guns and balloons—an exciting choice for any young child. However, his excitement was tempered by the memory of the previous year’s gift exchange. Classmate Lenny Staley had tricked Brooks into pulling a Barbie doll during the exchange, which earned him the nickname “Barbie boy” for the entire year.

Determined not to relive that experience, Brooks decided he would pull his own gift this time around. But that decision changed when he saw Roxanne, a classmate boarding the bus with nothing more than a plain, used coffee cup for the gift exchange.

Roxanne's Cup
“Roxanne came from a struggling home. Her mother was a housekeeper at a little hotel in my small community. She had four brothers and sisters, and she constantly came to school dirty, and my peers didn't get that,” said Brooks. “Roxanne was a child with no filter, which I found hilarious because she walked around the building, offending every adult but my peers didn’t get that. She was constantly getting into trouble. My classmates shied away from her, but I thought she was great.”

Brooks’ first thought about Roxanne’s cup was that it would not go over very well with his peers.

“My second thought was, ‘Wait a minute. That is a terrible gift. I'm going to talk Lenny Staley into pulling that gift, and he's going to go home with a used coffee cup,’” Brooks said. “My third thought was if Lenny Staley gets ahold of this cup, he’s going to make fun of my friend Roxanne.”

In that moment, Brooks made a decision: he would give up his water guns and pull Roxanne's gift instead, ensuring none of his peers would balk at her cup.

Mr. Walters
Roxanne took her unwrapped cup directly to the teacher,  Mr. Walters, so he could help wrap the gift.

“They go over to his closet and they’re playing around and all of a sudden, Roxanne turns around and she’s got this beautifully wrapped gift. It had a huge gold bow on it,” Brooks recalled.

Brooks was filled with anxiety during the exchange as students ahead of him selected gifts. When his classmate Renee selected Roxanne's gift, Brooks braced himself for his classmates’ reactions.

“Renee rips open the paper and holds up the cup. Inside the cup are 10 permanent Sharpie markers, all different colors, and a gigantic king-size Snickers bar. Before she can say anything, Mr. Walters chimes in and says, ‘Oh my gosh, Renee, you got an autograph cup. We’re all going to be able to pick a different color permanent marker and sign our name to that cup and you're going to go home with a cup with all your friends’names on it that you’re going to have for the rest of your life. That's the best gift I’ve ever seen!’”

Brooks said it was at that moment that he decided to become a teacher.

“When someone asks, ‘Why are you an educator?’ I can tell them the time, the place and the teacher who was standing in front of me. Do you know why? Because I recognized your power as a teacher—as a kindergarten teacher, as an art teacher, as a coach, as district personnel, as a Superintendent, as a principal. I recognize the power of educators to change someone's nondescript coffee cup into something absolutely amazing,” said Brooks. “I had an educator who understood the most important thing you can ever give a child is their dignity—no matter what home they come from, no matter what pronoun they want to be called, no matter what color their hair is, no matter what sport they're playing—you as an educator, step up and love, respect, and encourage every child in front of you, no matter who it is. It is life-changing for those kids and everybody watching them.”
Brooks emphasizes that educators hold an enormous responsibility in the lives of their students. The simple act of ensuring a child walks away with dignity can have a lifelong impact.

Daily Reminder
Brooks challenges educators to keep a nondescript coffee cup on their desks as a reminder of the choice educators face—to either lift students up with dignity or tear them down with judgment. The challenge he extends is simple yet profound: always choose love, respect, and encouragement.