Note: this piece was originally published in November of 2019 on the Meemic blog.
Every
month as I prepare to write this blog, I ask myself one question: What can I
write that will enlighten people about my profession and be helpful to my dedicated
colleagues?
A
few weeks ago, during a lunch with the Regional Teachers of the Year, State Superintendent
Dr. Michael Rice answered that question when he reminded us to celebrate and
acknowledge the work of as many educators as we possibly could.
Given
that this is the month of Thanksgiving, I am going to use my space here today
to reflect on and thank some of the teachers that have helped me on my journey.
For the sake of brevity, and because I am a high school teacher, I will focus
on a few of my high school teachers in the space today.
I
graduated from the old Troy High School that used to be housed on Livernois
Road in Troy. My family moved there in the middle of my freshman year, and I
was in the last class to graduate from there in 1992. I still get a little
nostalgic whenever I hear Vanessa Williams’ “Save the Best for Last,” which was
of course our senior class song.
There
were three women in particular who had a lasting effect on me, to the point
that I credit them with the type of teacher I am today.
Mary
Ellen Larson was my sophomore biology teacher, but she was also much more to me
than that. She treated every single student like they were interesting and
funny and as if they belonged in
biology—even if, like me—they weren’t exactly the best science student. Her
energy wasn’t just positive, it was loving. I believed—and still believe—that she
loved us. She trusted we could all learn, and she was excited to watch that
happen. In a pretty cool turn of events, I ended up having her daughter, Katy,
in one of my first classes as a new teacher at Rochester High School. They were
both at my wedding. And today, Katy has now grown up to also be a teacher.
 |
| The book & flowers from Mrs. Larson |
Last
spring, I got a phone call from the office telling me that I had a visitor. It
was Mrs. Larson, who had heard about my award. She gave me a book and flowers
and a beautiful card. It was a miracle I didn’t break down sobbing in front of
my entire class. She was so proud of me and still
radiated that same unconditional love I remembered. I am so thankful to her.
Due
to my dad’s job with General Motors, my family moved a lot, and it was often
the teachers who made those moves easier for me, welcoming me, and never
seeming irritated to have another child added to their endless list of things
to do. Besides my family, teachers and school were a constant source of
consistency and normalcy for “the new kid.”
Senior
year I woke up right around this time of year to the news that my dad had
gotten another promotion and we would be moving…again. I broke down sobbing.
What kind of kid wants to move 2 months end to senior year? I cried all day at
school (which was quite obviously uncomfortable for many of my male teachers).
But two of my teachers —Elaine Shapiro, and Donna Guith— literally with almost
no hesitation at all, offered to let me live with them. I was only
17, so I didn’t really understand the magnitude of what they were offering, but
looking back I almost start to cry all over again. These women both had
families and children of their own, and yet they were willing to welcome me
into their families just like they had welcomed me into their
classrooms. I ended up staying with some wonderful family friends,
but that kind of all-encompassing love for students as human beings is what I
strive for in my classroom, and what I see in the news and in the halls of my
school every day.
Before
that and since then I have encountered countless educators that have uplifted
and inspired and encouraged me. The people that I work with right now at Stoney
Creek High School and in Rochester Community Schools are some of the absolute
best human beings I’ve ever known. Some things have certainly changed
about our profession since I graduated, but one thing remains: the love a
teacher shows her students has a lasting and deep effect. Our work matters.
So
thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Larson, Mrs. Shapiro, and Mrs. Guith. And thank you
to every educator out there working every day to let kids know you not only
care about their learning, but that you care about them as unique and
extraordinary human beings.
