Reflections of Teachers Past

 

Reflections: Teachers

Some of our earliest experiences in life are with teachers. They guide us from elementary school all the way through high school and on through college. Whether our experiences with them were good or bad, they impacted our lives and influenced our attitudes about learning.

My first teacher was my mother.  She taught me how to be self-sufficient. Because I grew up in the country, I was fortunate enough to learn how to live off of the land. My mother stressed the importance of being able to grow your own food- something all good southerners know how to do. She also taught me how to make quilts.

My mother also instilled in me a love of reading.  Whenever it stormed and the lights went out, she would pull out this big book of fairytales, light as many candles as she could, gather us all up, and start reading.  I loved to listen to the stories of ‘Blue bead’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘The Little Match Girl’, and the ‘Thumbelina’. Even though we were scared of the lightening, we were always happy when it stormed because we knew our mother would read to us.

My elementary school teachers made lasting impressions on me.  As a matter of fact, one of the things that happened to me in elementary school influenced me to push myself to always be the best.

I will have to admit that my elementary school teachers did have a hard time.  I was hyperactive and sitting still in a desk just wasn’t something I could seem to accomplish for any long period of time. I rarely made it to recess because I won’t be quiet, and I simply couldn’t sit in those desks.  By the time I made it to the third grade, my reputation preceded me, and my teachers knew what to expect. They stopped trying to get me to sit in desks all day and begin to understand that a lot of my behavior was the result of boredom. 

Unfortunately, I did have one bad experience.  One day my regular teacher was out sick, and we had a substitute.  The poor lady was stuck with me for 8 whole hours.  After she had had to yell at me for the umpteenth time for not wanting to sit in my desk, she called me to her.  She then told me, “You, little girl, will never amount to anything.  You will never graduate from high school!” Needless to say, I was devastated.  I carried this lady’s words with me for the rest of  my life.

I thought of her every time I was on Honor Roll.  I thought of her whenever I made an A.  I thought of her when I graduated with Honors from high school and college.  I thought of her every time I won a writing contest. And, I think of her every time I stand in front of my own class.  I make it my business to never discourage a child or destroy their dreams.

When I reached high school, I had a wonderful English teacher by the name of Ms. Jones.  She was a tiny, very dignified lady.  She was very proper and very strict.  Because she taught several different English and literature classes, I ended up having her each year for 3 years. She made us write until our fingers hurt, and we got to read a lot.  Most of my friends hated her, but I loved her.  She always encouraged me to do my best, and she inspired me to become an English teacher. 

I did have the privilege of working with my favorite English teacher just before she retired.  I was also fortunate enough to tell her how much she meant to me before she died. 

When I became a teacher, I tried to model my class after Ms. Jones.  I am not quite as strict, but I try to push my students to do their best.  I also make it my business to expose my students to a wide variety of literature-whether they like it or not.  I also make writing a priority because I know it is a skill that they will need the rest of their lives.

Teachers touch lives. They have been blessed to be able to mold the lives of countless children.