It’s that time again – back to school season. Nearly every advertisement is telling us about hip new fashions and clever new school supplies. Parents are planning the last little get-away before marching band, cheerleading and football practices begin. Kids are dreading the prospect of early mornings and parents are ready for regular schedules and routines. College students are scanning consignment shops and yard sales for that perfect re-useable desk or beverage fridge – thinking about required courses and tuition hikes. But for me…this time of year always makes me think about teachers.
Everyone has a story about that certain special person who set them on the right path, opened their imagination to the unimaginable or made them believe that anything was possible. Whether it was the 4th grade teacher who gave you extra “tasks” so you wouldn’t get bored – keeping you out of trouble; the 6th grade teacher who noticed your gift for singing and suggested you try out for the school musical; or the high school teacher who wrote the letter to accompany the college application…teachers change the trajectory of our lives in ways we can never repay.
In elementary school, I was the kid who got myself into trouble by challenging the necessity and purpose of many activities. If it seemed like “busy work” – I wanted no part of it. This seldom went over well. I can still see the look on my mother’s face as she explained (repeatedly) that life would be filled with things we didn’t want to do and there would be consequences for not doing them. How right she was.
I will always remember the lesson I learned about honesty from my 2nd grade teacher – simply by her reaction when I admitted cheating on a spelling test. The guilt was too much – so I explained how I had the word written on the inside of my lift-top desk. No drama. No shaming. Just a red line though the word and an appreciation for “coming clean.” I never cheated again. To this day I think of her every time I write the word b-e-c-a-u-s-e.
I was always a good student – so as I got older – the impact of my teachers came in other ways. Lessons of self-confidence and creative problem solving. Lessons of inclusion and kindness. Lessons of perspective and perseverance. At a time when conventional wisdom said that “boys were better at math than girls” — Mrs. Halpern openly challenged that notion — holding her female Algebra students to the highest of standards. To this day, I am confident with numbers and the principals of mathematics.
While Mr. Thomas taught us about concave versus convex lenses and the principles of gravity – his greatest impact was watching him as an advisor and lacrosse coach. His gentle (but no-nonsense) nature and unwavering authenticity has long since been a model for me. This teacher’s impact was so powerful – I tracked him down 20 years later (he’s now a middle school principal) to say…”you changed the direction of my life and I am grateful.”
So, to all of you who struggle on a “teacher’s salary” while facing the stress of crowded classrooms, shrinking budgets and rising expectations – I honor your commitment and value your impact. You never know…on a random Tuesday — 20 years from now – it might be the kid in the back row of your class who calls to say “you have made all the difference.”
By Stephanie Koehler [email protected]
