A teacher walks into a classroom. The desks are neatly lined up. Supplies are ready. Posters adorn the walls. The teacher sets up for the day. Retrieves the lesson plan. Inhales. Exhales.

This teacher knows the most important thing is not what’s written on that page. Today, like every day, is about connection.

This is how Loren Thomas hopes every teacher approaches their work. 

“The magic in education isn’t in good lesson plans,” he said. “The real magic is human being to human being.” 

Wisdom from someone who has spent five decades as an educator.

The two-time Temple University alumnus didn’t plan to become a teacher at first. He began teaching Greek and Christian literature in a seminary, but as his own beliefs evolved, he moved on to teach social studies in an alternative school. That, he said, is where he fell in love with education. 

Since then, Thomas has seen education from every angle—the classroom, the principal’s office, the superintendent’s chair, and even a Costa Rican mountaintop. Through it all, he’s learned that education is a profoundly human act. 

When he retired “the first time,” Thomas moved to Arizona, but retirement didn’t stick. He returned to work there before heading to Costa Rica to help run a school, and later to Peru to lead training for yoga instructors. Despite what he calls a “distinct pull” to Latin America, he also felt drawn back home to Philadelphia. Searching Temple’s website for opportunities to reconnect with his alma mater, he discovered the opportunity to mentor future educators through the College of Education and Human Development’s Temple Teacher Residency (TTR) program.

Now, at seventy-three years old, Thomas is spending his “retirement years” guiding the next generation of Philadelphia teachers.

The world has changed, and the way we must teach must change with it. For Thomas, this means leading with humility and empathy. He brings a holistic approach to teaching, shaped by his experiences as a climber, philosopher, volunteer with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and yogi. He credits his strong liberal arts foundation with helping him think critically, question deeply and engage in meaningful dialogue. 

“The TTR program is not about being a teacher helping teachers be teachers. It’s about being a human being supporting other human beings to be fulfilled.”

He speaks from experience. “I’ve done the work. I’ve managed teachers and hired teachers. I’ve managed school budgets, which allows me to bring perspective that classroom teachers might not see.”

He adds, “We can teach subject matter. We can teach you how to create effective lesson plans. We can’t teach you how to love kids. Be there for the love.”

Committed to equity, racial justice and compassion, Thomas said he feels a natural connection to Temple. “The university speaks to me in many ways. Our values align. And this is my home.” 

Thomas said he’s fallen in love with the mission of the TTR program. 

“The thing that matters to me is public education. I believe in it. It’s what I’ve done. It’s Philadelphia. I was born here.” 

Working in the city where he was born—supporting communities facing poverty and economic inequities, witnessing behavioral and academic issues in under-resourced schools—Thomas said this work “ticks the boxes” of what matters most to him.

He continues to visit Latin America. During one recent visit since becoming a TTR coach, he connected with an opportunity in Colombia that led him to help fund a parent-run school there. It was, he said, “a quiet act of hope.” At one point, Thomas even donated his TTR salary to cover a teacher’s pay at that school. When he shared this story with his students, it wasn’t to boast, but to demonstrate the ripple effect of connection and compassion across borders and to share that they were also part of this impact. 

Education, he believes, is both deeply personal and socially transformative. Its impact is immediate and long-lasting. 

“I’m working with people who’ll be mid-career when I die,” he shared. “Spending some of these years helping create idealistic, well-trained, committed teachers—that’s pretty cool.”

Every decade on his birthday, Thomas takes a photo to reflect his life’s journey. Today, he looks ahead, laughing and full of purpose, to a picture with the Temple Owl on his eightieth birthday. 

For Thomas, there is tremendous joy in service. His work with the TTR program and future educators isn’t an ending—it’s a continuation.