Dan Rather once said of teachers, "The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called 'truth.' "
I'm sure if you think back to your most influential teachers, you will remember those who inspired; those who not only taught you the facts from a textbook, but those who taught you to think on your own; those who believed in you and led you to the next plateau. Out of the 17 years I was in school, there is a handful of teachers that I truly remember. Those teachers are the ones who taught me to use what they taught, who were more concerned that I could apply their lessons to life, instead of just passing the next test.
At the risk of forgetting some, I am going to publicly thank some of those teachers: Mrs. Sagers, Central Elementary, Ms. Berry, Central Elementary, Ms. Klein, Central Elementary, Tooele; Mr. Sena, Central Elementary, Tooele; Mr. Call, math, Tooele High School; Ms. Parrot, chemistry, Tooele High School; Mr. Johnson, English, Tooele High School; Miss Mestas, newspaper, Tooele High School; Mr. Silcox, social studies, Tooele High School; Ms.Marni Asplund, English, BYU; Dr. Orme, Animal Science, BYU; Dr. Silcox, Animal Science, BYU; Mr. Brian Boden, Animal Judging, BYU; Dr. Roeder, Animal Anatomy and Physiology; Dr. Gary Gowans, Veterinary Medicine, Tooele; Sister Irene Smith, Rush Valley; Mom and Dad, life, Rush Valley.
There are others, I'm sure, that have touched my life and shaped who I have become; those who have taught me the importance of learning without me even noticing. Thank you so much for your contribution in my life.
Now that I'm a parent, those great teachers are as important, or more, to me as my own were. I have watched in excitement and awe as my children, one by one, have learned not only to read, but to love reading.
Miss Kim Mellor, an amazing kindergarten teacher from Spanish Oaks Elementary, has started that journey for each one of my children. Thank you so much. Your patience and time with each student does not go unnoticed. I am eternally grateful for your teachings. My kids can succeed in every subject because you taught them to read and gave them a good foundation to start with.
I also need to thank all of their teachers at Spanish Oaks Elementary for continuing to help my little ones grow: Mrs. Broderick, Mrs. Ward, Mrs. Peterson, Mrs. Sanders, Mrs. Loftin, Mr. Crockett, Mrs. Pardew, Miss Wells, Miss Doll, Miss Hughes, Miss Davies, and Miss Olsen. Thank you so much for making my child and their learning important to you, for going "above and beyond" to prepare my children to make their mark in life.
If you can read this, thank a teacher.
I would echo your sentiments about teachers. Specifically, Mr. Call, for his patience with my lack of understanding of Calculus & Mrs. Parrot whose conversion formulas I use to this day, but not for chemistry (though at the time swore I would never use again).
ReplyDeleteMy 2nd year of college, I wrote several letters to specific teachers about the influence for good they had on my life. With all the abuse teachers go through on a daily basis, it has got to be nice to have a little pat on the back once in a while.