Touch the Future - Teach!

           Have you ever taken time to go back and thank a teacher who made a difference in your life? Almost all of us can remember a special teacher at some point along the way who left a lasting impression on us. It might even be that this teacher is one of the reasons why you might be thinking about becoming a teacher.

            I was fortunate to have lots of great teachers in my life and each one of them has had a role to play in shaping my life. Mr. Chambers taught me how to love poetry. His favorite phrase when the class was struggling with a passage was, “Move that word and look behind it for the meaning.” I didn’t know it then, but that was my initiation into the critical thinking process. Mr. Chambers also ran “Fridays with C.” He would be available in his classroom every Friday during lunch period and we could bring our lunch to his room and chatter on about everything and anything. Sometimes our conversations were about school and sometimes they were about life. He never pushed his own agenda, but he had a way of getting us to look at things from different perspectives. I didn’t know it then, but he was teaching us how to look at issues from multiple perspectives. And then there was Mr. Caruso who taught math. Math was always my least favorite subject and I struggled mightily, but I loved Mr. Caruso. He convinced me that I could do it and he never allowed me to give up on myself. He knew that I was really uncomfortable being called on in class until I had time to listen to other students’ questions and learn from his responses to them. So he always waited to ask me a question until at least half way through the lesson. I didn’t know it then, but now I know that he was demonstrating the importance of individual differences in students and how important it is to get to know your students and how they learn if you are going to be a truly effective teacher. Mr. Iacovino taught social studies and he helped me through the most difficult time in my life when my Dad passed away. He knew just what to say and do and I will never forget his kindness to me.

            When I look at my own life, I see each of these three teachers and their influence in how I approach the world. I am grateful for the role each one of them played. I was only able to thank two of them in a formal way. Mr. Caruso died shortly after I graduated from high school. Teachers are a little bit like farmers; they till the soil, plan seeds, and water the plants regularly while they are under their care. But unlike farmers who get to see the results of their efforts when the crops come in, teachers don’t always see the fruits of their labors long-term. They plant lots of seeds, but it is often years later when their crops come in as students mature and find their own place in the world. Is there a teacher in your life who would love to hear from you? Perhaps this is a great time to say thank you.