When I was really young, I loved school for all of its aspects. I loved to learn, I enjoyed going every day, I even looked forward to the end of summer. My brother thought I was insane, but I didn’t care. I loved the new year, the new books, the new teachers and new students. The only subject I dreaded was PE, because I hated sports, etc.
As I got older and my social life took a huge nose dive, I still loved learning, but the individual teachers began to make a much larger impact on me. I began to appreciate them for what they did, and how they treated me, they were the beacon in the chaos of teenage drama. Teachers became the biggest imact on my school life.
One teacher that inspired my writing life (and subsequent career as an author), was an English teacher I had in high school.
Mrs. K.
I’m pretty sure the day I approached her with a question on our writing assignment she wasn’t sure what to make of it. The assignment was to write on our name, the origin of it, the meaning, etc. You know the assignment, I think we all get it. I asked if it had to be in third person and follow the usual strict guideline for a non-fiction assignment because I had “an idea.”
When she gave me that ok to take the chance, I’m sure she didn’t know how much it would impact my entire future writing life. I ended up turning the assignment, which had become a creative assignment written as a newspaper article by my great-granddaughter (who shared my name).
I got an A.
And never looked at “standards” the same way again. I approach everything from a sideways slant now. I ignore genres and write crazy stories and plots and don’t ever look back. All thanks to Mrs. K’s simple “yes” and encouragement.
*~*
These days I look at teachers differently. With my kids and their own unique personalities, I’m always looking for the one that’s going to have the most impact. How they’re going to turn around a difficulty or face a challenge. I’m mostly looking for one that, despite their insane schedule, take the time to know what my children are about. We’ve had some amazing years, and some rough ones, and I’m so happy for each step forward my kids take thank to a teachers impact.
*
Kennedy wants to be a teacher.
I couldn’t be prouder of this dream and I encourage it EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Teachers impact the lives of so many children, they make the difference between a love of learning and the desire to avoid school.
I know that the pool of teachers for schools to use is dwindling as people choose different careers and even fewer go to college. I see first hand that within the next 10 years 65% of America’s current teachers will retire – because every year in my kids school several teachers leave or retire.
I think Kennedy’s dream of being a teacher is the best dream there is. I want her to achieve it and hope she does.
*~*
On September 6th 8PM EST, TEACH will air on CBS. Brought to us by Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim, it explores education in America today and asks what it takes to be a good teacher today. I know I’ll be watching, and have my future teacher at my side.
What about you? Did you have a teacher that impacted your life? Share your story. Visit the TEACH website to learn about the four awesome teachers highlighted in the documentary and
*~*
*DISCLOSURE: This post was sponsored by Participant Media. However, the stories told are uniquely my own, and all opinions are most certainly 100% my own.
My 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. R recognized I was reading at a higher level and let me check out books on her card from the ‘big kids’ library (4th-6th grade). I devoured biographies of historical women, esp Jane Addams, Abigail Adams, and Louisa May Alcott.
In the 5th grade, a student teacher, Mr. S, introduced my class to the concept of creative writing, and I was hooked! Suddenly, all these stories in my head had a way to be expressed!
My 7th grade English teacher, Mrs. G, taught me the art of journaling. And my 9th grade English Teacher, Mrs. Y, thrilled me on the 1st day when she announced we’d write creatively every other Friday. I wrote three stories that year (one was 27 pages long and written from Sept-April) and two of them were well received.