"I touch the future. I teach." ~ Christa McAuliffe
Teacher appreciation week is upon us and I think we can all agree that during some point in our lives we have been touched by great teachers.
During my childhood, I had a wonderful teacher who also happened to be the principal of my elementary school, Sister Agnes. She taught me, through example, the importance of service and dedicating your life to helping others, especially those in need.
I remember one time in particular, when I was in sixth grade and we had a long-term substitute teacher filling in for our regular classroom teacher who was on maternity leave. My classmates were giving this teacher a very rough time, and at times, the class was completely out of control. Whenever Sister walked into the room, however, that stopped immediately. She was respected by even the most naughty of children.
One day, she called me down to her office, and we had a discussion about the classroom. She was asking me what was going on and if I had any suggestions as to how the situation could be changed. I was amazed at how she valued my comments, and I have never forgotten the feeling I had during that discussion. Children want to be valued. When I was a teacher myself, I remembered that day and I would always go out of my way to let students know that I appreciated their opinions.
The other teacher in my life who helped shape my future was one of my high school English teachers, Mrs. Alberti. My high school career was far from stellar, and my grades reflected that. Mrs. Alberti saw my writing talents in her composition class and encouraged me to write as much as I could, as often as I could. She submitted one of my stories to a writing competition at a nearby university. As a result, I got to go to a workshop at the campus and meet an actual author, who critiqued my work.
Mrs. Alberti also encouraged me to become a teacher, getting me to join the forensics team and work on my public-speaking skills. It was one of the scariest things I had ever done, but I did it despite my fears. I won first place in the Voice of Democracy contest and had to speak in front of a group of about sixty people. I practiced for two weeks, every day, until I had that speech memorized. I remember my father telling me to scan the audience and look over their heads at the back wall, so it would give the appearance that I was looking directly at them. That piece of advice must have worked, because I can still picture Mrs. Alberti coming up to me after the speech with a beaming smile on her face.
When you are the target of bullying by your peers, as I was for most of my high school years, you need people beyond your parents to help you gain the confidence you are so desperately seeking. Mrs. Alberti and Sister Agnes made a huge difference in my life.
As a teacher myself, I knew that our words and, more importantly, our actions speak volumes. Towards the end of my career, I received a letter in the mail from a former student, who was going to attend college to become a librarian. Her touching letter recalled how I had inspired her and how she wanted to do the same for others. I still treasure that letter to this day…
A man named Charles H. Spurgeon once said, “A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.”
I hope this next week you take a moment to remember and honor those who work in education, where many challenges still exist but so does the hard work and dedication of those who work in one of the most noble professions.
What do you think?
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Tranquil Moments…
I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:
This week’s Smile video…
If you had one dying wish, what would it be? On tonight’s “On The Road,” we met a man who knew exactly what he wanted. Steve Hartman reports.
#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove
What I am reading…
This week I read Wisconsin Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities and Other Offbeat Stuff by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook. This is a fun book with some ideas for possible day trips for me this summer.
Here is the Amazon summary: “Popular public radio show host Michael Feldman and coauthor Diana Cook introduce Wisconsin's weirdest, wackiest, and most outrageous people, places, and things including a man who owes his life to a foam rubber cheesehead, a worm that plays basketball, and the best place to savor chicken in a hubcap.”
Because of you…
I love Gerry Brooks and his videos because they are silly and make me laugh. This one makes me smile for a different reason - Watch it and think of those special teachers you had and what your answer would be to the phrase, “Because of you…”
What I am watching…
This week I watched Mr. Holland’s Opus, one of my favorite “teacher” movies. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss in the title role of Glenn Holland, a dedicated high-school music teacher who attempts to compose his own music while struggling to balance his job and life with his wife and profoundly deaf son.
This movie touches your heart and at least one kleenex will be needed before you finish watching this film.
Mind/Body connections…
Tamara Levitt guides this 10 minute Daily Calm mindfulness meditation as a self soothing practice.
Comedy Lift…
I love to share funny cartoons or memes with friends and family. Who doesn’t need to smile? Here’s this week’s Comedy Lift…
Music Moments
Music inspires me in many ways. Here's one of my favorite songs - Hero by Mariah Carey….Enjoy!
Quote of the week
Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….
Such a great example of paying it forward by you, your student/future librarian, and hopefully the children she will interact with in her career.
A bright spot of my week, as always!