A funny thing happened to me yesterday, I went to my tap dancing class (one of my crazy hobbies) and my dance teacher (who also happens to be a first year school teacher) said to me, "Hey, nice blog post, I have a link to it on my facebook." I thanked her and then I asked how she knew about my blog. She replied, "One of my friends had a link on her facebook, actually, now it is on most of my friends' facebook pages."
I went home and had a look at my stats. Where small hills and dips once appeared, a mountain emmerged. My usual stats of 34 page views had jumped to almost 500 for that particular post...the one in reply to my friend Jack. Wow, amazing. I attribute it not to my writing nor to my appeal (not too sure about either of those factors) but rather, to the fact that Saskatchewan teachers are so stressed by this negotiation process and we so want the public to value and understand what we do that we are spreading the word any way that we can.
In honour of that, and my new found following (let's see if it lasts) I am going to talk today about those special teachers who really played a significant role in shaping who I am.
Grade one, Joan Bisset: It was 1978 and my grade one teacher had blonde hair styled in the Farrah Fawcett flip. She wore a silver fox coat (before the age of PETA), she drove a silver corvette, she was as close to Charlie's Angels as one could get in Regina, Saskatchewan as far as I could tell. I idolized her. She was kind and witty and she fostered in me a love of learning and questioning. She taught me to read, one of my greatest passions to this day. She taught me to write and to express myself through writing. she made me love school and want to learn. She set me up for success. Enough said!
Grade 7 and grade 8, Jean Flett: Miss Flett was not quite 5 feet tall but everyone shook in her wake. She could yell louder than a drill sergeant and she was the strictest teacher I had ever seen. The first day of grade 7 a fly walked across the face of a boy in my class and he didn't even brush it away for fear of moving. We thought it would be the longest year of our lives. But, as we got to know our teacher, we found her to have such a caring heart. She would have done anything for us. Her expectations were incredibly high, she would accept nothing less than perfection, yet she found a way to allow all of her students to reach and even surpass their potential. She believed in us and she never let us forget it. I honestly think I learned more in the 2 years that I spent in Miss Flett's class than in any other school year or course, ever. On the last day of grade 8 she cried when we left her class and we did too but the lessons she taught and the way she taught me to believe in myself and my potential stayed with me for a lifetime.
Grade 12: Rene Arguin: M. Arguin was my French teacher. He taught like no previous French teacher had. He taught me about so much more than verb conjugation and grammar. M. Arguin taught us about the Fransaskois culture. He taught us to use the language as a vehicle to appreciate dialogue and literature and showed us the rich history of the French Canadian people. M. Arguin encouraged bilingualism and, because of him, many of my classmates and I attended French Immersion summer camps, programs, and continued to learn and use French beyond high school. It was because of M. Arguin that I became bilingual and it was through becoming bilingual that I became a teacher.
I was fortunate to have had many great teachers in my k-12 public education, but these ones played a significant role in helping me to become the person, the learner and the teacher that I am. I owe them much gratitude!
Now, since I know that people are actually reading this blog, I invite you to leave a comment thanking the special teacher(s) who impacted your life! Let's celebrate our teachers and recognize the direct contribution they gave to us! I can't wait to read about your special teachers!
Thank you Hillary for all you do! Many people (in the high school world) would say that what I am about to do is brown nosing, but in all actuality you Hillary Ibbott Neiszner are my most memorable teacher. Although you never taught me in the classroom you will always be remembered for the passion, dedication, commitment and guidance you shared with me as my grade 12 cheerleading coach. Even though I have expressed my appreciation for in the past I can't thank you enough for the countless volunteer hours you put in so that I could participate in and grow to love the sport of cheerleading.
ReplyDeleteYou will always be a person I hold dear to my heart. Your inspiration I will carry with me as I continue to grow as a teacher, coach, parent and community leader.
Thank you!
Christine, it was my privilege and pleasure to know and work with you! I am sure your students and the girls and boys you coach would write about you if they had the chance! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteA special teacher... hmmm... I've been fortunate to have many but three stand out right now, Mrs. Corbett, Mrs. Gulka and certainly Mrs. Woytas. What was common about these three educators? They all cared about their students' academic and personal development. Beyond curriculum, they were special people. I loved Mrs. Corbett's laugh. I can see her playing the piano and leading us through a special song over the lunch hour. Mrs. Gulka inspired me to be an educator. She was well planned and we accomplished so much each English class. She had to deal with some very disturbing boys and I recall feeling so badly that her day included this difficulty. Mrs. Woytas, was my Kindergarten teacher. Everyone loves their K teacher but she was beyond this. She made cookies with us and I often think of her when I smell these fresh baked goodies. I think of her kindness and generosity. I am grateful for these teachers and for the important role they had in my life.
ReplyDeleteMy Grade 4 teacher, Mrs. Thompson, was the one who made me want to get into education. I did not have a good Grade 3 year, and she understood that a hyperactive 9-yr-old needed to explore things in a way that a normal classroom didn't allow for. I got to do special reports on Japan and narwhals and do extension activities that let me follow my interests. I know she didn't have to make accomodations for one troublemaker in a class full of kids with other needs.
ReplyDeleteHillary I have to agree with your comments about Miss Flett...Alex had her for grade 8 and we absolutely loved her she was a fantastic teacher.
ReplyDeleteJackie
Well I just love reading your blog! And like Christine, I have to agree with so much that she said. Although you did not teach me in the classroom, your talent as a coach, educator, professional and woman of such strength aspires me to become nothing less. Thank you for all your encouragement as your grade 12 cheerleader and teaching college!
ReplyDeleteI forwarded the link to your blog to all my staff the other day because I thought your posts were so valuable to us as we all stress about these negotiations.
Thanks again Hillary!
Thank you, Hillary, for encouraging us to think about the important people in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI have been fortunate to not only have many good teachers but also to witness the many great teachers who taught my kids.
I had a grade 6 teacher, Mrs. McDonald, who taught me so much about English and who was strict but fun and lovable. She adored each one of us and made us all feel special. I still use the exact same lesson that she used to teach me about pronouns.
I also had two amazing grade 8 teachers - Jim Paton and the now author and speaker, Dave Bouchard, who was very young, musical, funny and cute. They were patient, strict, fun and caring. I still keep in touch and always have with Jim Paton.
Then in high school I had the great fortune to get Bob Medak as a teacher. He is the one teacher who saw much more in me than the academic I was. He pushed me to explore other talents and passions and treated me like the young adult I so wanted to be. We have also stayed in touch over the years. Lastly, was a teacher/professor I had in university - Salina Shrofel. Her knowledge and passion were so engaging but it was her dedication to our education that was so unbelievable. I could phone her at 3:00 a.m. if I was up prepping during my internship and I knew she would be keen to help me. She guided me and molded me into the teacher I am today.
My children have also had many excellent teachers who did more than just convey knowledge about a particular subject. They had teachers who taught every aspect of the child, like Maureen Buhlman who named everything from her pencil sharpener to her blocked tear duct and who gave my grade 4 daughter an appreciation for chess and classical music. There was also Paula Belliveau who was an angel at our elementary school and whose loving, genuine approach to teaching had a profound impact on every single student she taught. I am sure she continues to be an amazing teacher, person, mentor and role model. Nicole Lekness taught my son Matt in gr. 6 and made him the leader he didn't know he was. She also taught to his highly kinesthetic learning style and by doing so brought out in him a love for learning that I had not previously seen. She called him her hero because of his dedication to and goals for his skiing and years after she taught him, she brought him a gift for his "going away party" and each item in the gift had a special meaning attached to the "hero" theme. It brought tears to my eyes for sure and Matt's. She was a blessing in his life and continues to be. Lastly was Steve Bradley who taught a tough grade 8 class and who touched the heart and soul of each kid in that class. He became their confidant, father figure, mentor, story-teller, spiritual guide and of course, teacher. He made all the students believe in themselves and convinced each one that s/he could achieve anything. My daughter still talks about him.
I could definitely go on and on. When I started reflecting on the people who have impacted my life through my own education and my children's, I realized how incredibly fortunate we have all been to hav so many amazing, caring, intelligent, and insightful people become role models and friends.
Bless them all.
Thanks again, Hillary, for encouraging us to think about our teachers.
Hi Hillary...
ReplyDeleteYou probably know the teachers who made a difference for me. All were teachers at Lumsden High School, and, as a result, my situation might be different than most people who post a response. Of the three teachers I will list, I not only had the good fortune to have been taught my them, but I was also able to work with them as a teacher. (I'm not sure who was most surprised, me or them?) As a result, I am going to write about them from both a student perspective and a collegial perspective. Here goes:
1. Mrs. Machin - As a student, Mrs. Machin refused to allow me to settle for mediocrity. She had incredibly high behavioural and academic expectations and she instilled a love for English literature and grammar, thereby proving that you can, indeed get blood from a stone. As a colleague, I watched Mrs. Machin devote countless hours to her students before and after school as ahe worked tirelessly to ensure that every student was provided with the opportunity to be successful. She is an amazing woman.
2. Mr. Berard - Mr. B's influence on me as a student was simple. He called me on it. One can substitute almost anything for "it". I need to be called on it. I did not have the opportunity to work with Mr. Berard, but I did have the opportunity to teach in his classroom for two years. Just working in the same space kind of set for me an expectation that I felt pressure to try to meet. I still run into Mr. Berard from time to time as he attends his grand-daughters' sporting events. He just shakes his head at the thought of me being an in-school administrator.
3. Ms. Bosse - As a student, I watched Ms. Bosse teach a multitude of subject areas with an amazing expertise. However, it was when I got to work with Ms. Bosse both at Lumsden High and Greenall High Schools that I realized how amazing she was. Ms. Bosse WAS a truly gifted teacher in many ways: she commanded students' respect and attention; she shared her love of and knowledge in a multitude of subject areas; and, she worked tenaciously to ensure that students not only got their work done, but got it done correctly. However, the thing that amazed me the most was her commitment to her profession. Not only did she labour to stay current in her own craft, but she gave freely of her time to mentor newer, more inexperienced teachers. I still work with many teachers who can fill an evening sitting around telling their favourite Ms. Bosse stories.
I suppose that's it, and it appears that the one thing these three teachers did not do for me is to teach me to keep it short!
Cheers!