Showing Appreciation

Happy Friday, Y'all

Today is the last day of Teacher Appreciation Week in the US. They've even done a bit with it this week here at my school in West Africa.

I once read a quote that said...

Most teachers don't realize the impact they have on their students.

Growing up, I knew I wanted to become a teacher.

Some of my earliest memories involve me, standing in front of a row of stuffed animals and baby dolls, with a notepad and pencil in hand, teaching them some lesson or another or reading them some story I'd "written."

Eventually, I started Kindergarten and I met these amazing men and women, who were doing the job I knew I wanted to do. 

They were teachers. 

And they were amazing. 

Not because of any lessons they taught...

Although, I'm sure those were amazing too ;)

No. They were amazing because of the seemingly little things they did or said, that made such an amazing impact on the heart/mind of this future teacher. 

I remember my kindergarten teacher sitting beside me pointing to each word in the book I was reading. I remember her hugging me and cheering for me when I finished reading my very first book. She made me feel like I'd won a million books. And she made me want to keep reading more and more.

I remember my second grade teacher, on the last day before my family was moving away, walking down the hallway, holding my hand, telling me how smart I was and how she knew that one day I would do big big things in this world. She made me believe in myself and my ability to achieve great things.

I remember my third grade teacher, holding me, as I cried, worried about my mom who was recovering from a major surgery. I remember her praying with me and telling me that no matter what, Jesus loves me and would always take care of me. I remember her not leaving my side until I had calmed down. She made me feel loved and cared for and reminded me that even in a public school where you often don't hear His name, Jesus is right there with us.

I remember my 6th grade teacher, helping us stay calm and distracted during a schoolwide lockdown that lasted hours and hours. I remember her telling us stories and letting us play games and I remember her calmness, reassuring us that everything was okay. She taught me that sometimes teachers get put in hard positions. But no matter what, we keep our cool and take care of the babies in our care.

I remember my 8th grade science teacher, who upon realizing I was having a hard day, let me eat lunch with her in her classroom, where we talked about the difficulties of life as a middle schooler, as we prepped for that afternoon's experiment. She made me feel heard. She taught me that sometimes all a person needs is a listening ear.

I remember my home ec teacher in high school, who patiently worked with me to master sewing. And boy was she patient because I was so not good at it. But she didn't give up and she encouraged me every step of the way. She taught me that a little encouragement can go a long way. 

She also came and saw me in Senegal. So there's that too :)

I remember my high school math teacher, who did her best to make math fun for kids like me who absolutely hated the subject. She helped me see how I would use that math in life outside of those school walls one day. She taught me that learning could be both educational and fun at the same time.

I remember my 12th grade English teacher, meeting with me to go over my first ever research paper. I remember her helping me sort through the information I'd gathered, and showing me tips on piecing it all together. She helped me fall in love with both research and writing, something I still love today.

I remember my college French teacher, sitting beside me on the flight to Paris, asking me about my dreams for the future and how I saw me using the French skills I'd been learning. Ironically, neither of us knew at that point that I'd one day be living in a French-speaking country, using those skills she taught me.

I remember my first education professor, chatting with me for a couple hours in her office, after I received the news that my dad had cancer. She taught me that teachers need to get to know their students and see beyond what's simply written on their papers. We need to know them as people. We need to take the time to listen to them when they're hurting.

I remember my Russian History professor (long story as to why I took that class) taking a group of us to McDonalds after class one day to chat about some random topic we'd learned in class that day. I don't even remember what we were talking about. But I remember him and his wife, who'd joined us, encouraging us as young college students. It wasn't even the meal that meant the most, even though that was nice to receive as a poor college student. It was the time they spent talking with us, laughing with us, and taking an interest in our lives. That's what meant the most.

I remember my Teaching Special Ed professor, inviting me to speak to one of her classes, and share about my work in Senegal. I remember her introducing me and making me feel like a million bucks. She taught me that even after our students have left our classrooms, they're still "ours" for years to come.

I remember so much.

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My family moved a lot. 

I went to 10 different schools before graduating high school.

I went to a community college for one semester.

I got my Bachelor's degree.

I got my Master's degree.

And I'm less than a year away from getting my second Master's degree.

So I've had my fair share of teachers.

I could've told far more stories than the ones I shared above. 

But I'll leave it with this.

There are a few things that almost all of my teachers had in common.

They showed me they cared. 

They showed me I could be somebody. 

They showed me I was heard and valued. 

And most of all...

They showed me how to be a good teacher.

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At the end of this school year, I will have been a teacher for 12 1/2 years. I will have taught in 3 schools in two different countries. I will have taught General Ed. Elementary, ELL, and Special Education. And I will have taught well over 100 students, spanning grades Kindergarten through 12. 

I am a teacher.

And while the first reason for that is a calling God placed on my life... The second reason for this career path of mine is the incredible teachers (role models) I have had over the years. 

So yes, I definitely appreciate all of my own teachers.

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  Today, I'm joining Erika and Andrea, for their weekly Friday Favorites linkup and sharing about some of my favorite memories and life lessons from some of my favorite teachers.