Reflection and thanks to educators

[Veronica]

There's a Teacher Appreciation Day in May.

Veronica

[Biciclista]

You'd be surprised how many of your old teachers are still alive and kicking. Many of mine were not much older than me 6-10 years older, and to me they were old women, but really they were in their 20's!
So look them up, and you can expect a really friendly response, at least the three I thanked, two remembered me, one didn't but they were all happy to know that they'd had a positive effect on SOMEONE.

[Tuckervill]

I've only ever wanted to have contact with one teacher from my past. Mr. Crowell, from 4th and 5th grade, when I was in the Open Classroom with 6th graders, too. I moved away in the middle of 5th grade (from the suburbs of Chicago to a tiny town in Arkansas). I wrote him letters from Arkansas and he wrote me back and that was fun. The year I left he was Illinois Teacher of the Year, which was very cool (although, I think the Open Classroom concept was a mistake after I'd spent a year in it and I still think that--he was a pioneer in those days).

I've looked him up online but haven't found him. He was probably less than 30 at the time, but he was a very large man and I can't imagine his health was good.

Karen

[Crankin]

I had Ms. Canavan for my gr. 3 reading teacher. I knew she was young; she lived at home and when we walked home for lunch, she walked home, too! Her parents ran a popular restaurant.
Fast forward to 1998. I was in a week long seminar on authors and Language Arts. I was sitting next to a woman named Cedra in a lecture. I knew it was Ms. Canavan, since I had never met anyone else with that name. So I asked her if she taught at Spaulding School and yes, she was still teaching 3d grade there!
Funny, she must have had her child late in life, because he was only about 6-7 years older than my son. I was eight when I had her, in 1961. She must have been only 21 or 22? She didn't look that old in 1998!
I had so many great teachers, I couldn't list them all here. That's why I became one.

[Aggie_Ama]

The best teacher I know I never had but she deserves my praise- my aunt has taught special ed all my life. She admits to being burnt out with the system but when she talks about her kids she lights up, I coached special olympics and I don't know how she does it! Aunt Renee will definitely be a rockstar to me forever. I had some pretty amazing teachers but there were a few that really stood out. I thought I wanted to teach but now I know I don't have the guts for it.

[Flybye]

Feb 2-6 was national counselor appreciation week, so the tribute was fitting.