First, some sweet memories. The following pictures were from my kindergarten year. I LOVED my kindergarten class and teacher- Mrs. Smith. I wish I could remember her first name because I would love to find her and thank her for inspiring and instilling in me a love of learning! If you know me at all, you know I am not shy (**shocker**) and I like to be in charge (otherwise known as bossy). I can clearly remember being on the playground and noticing that my teacher had gone inside (she was helping a child who had been hurt) began to round up all my classmates to get in a line and we stood nicely and quietly outside our door until she came back. Ha! She also told my parents in a conference that she predicted I'd either be the first woman president or a teacher. Obviously, we know which one came true. I'll always remember that we had a piano in our room and some awesome wooden blocks. We were pretty great at building as seen in the awesome helicopter creation below! It's true, I may not remember everything she taught me but I will always remember how special she made me feel.
I also reflected a bit on another teacher I had. Mrs. C was my second grade teacher. She wasn't the most bubbly, innovative in teaching styles or anything like that. I remember getting in trouble quite a bit in her class (talked to much- surprise, surprise) and feeling a bit like she didn't like me that much or understand me. Another thing to know about me is my intense need to be liked. This is an area I work on all the time because rationally I know I will not be liked by everyone. None the less, it hurts my heart. But I digress. I always have thought that year was the worst of my elementary days but my mom told me something that got me thinking. I was discussing that year with her and she randomly told me, "Michelle, don't you remember writing her back and forth over the summer? She and you were pen pals. She loved you and thought you were so spunky". I did not remember that but it reinforced that even when I felt disliked or misunderstood, it was all my 7 year old perceptions. My teacher did love me and care for me just not in the way I was used to being shown. Her love was shown in her routines and gentle discipline. My mom told me she was the one who really nurtured my love of reading and writing. My work from second grade is full of imaginative writing and detailed illustrations. I loved to read so much that I used to prop my desk top open with an eraser and my Ramona Quimby book open inside! Probably another thing I got in trouble for-ha ha!! My point of this story is that as a teacher I know many times a student may face personalities or environments that are opposite to what they've been used to but I encourage them to embrace it! You never know what they may learn from the situation. If I had always had the same type of teachers and environments that I was used to, I may not have shown as much growth or learned the great skill of perseverance. Just remember- love is not always shown in the same way.
As I prepare for my first day of school next Monday I'll be praying that God allows me to be the best teacher I can be for my students. That I can show them love, understanding, grace and a love for learning. That even when I have to redirect or show I mean business, an undercurrent of love will be felt. To all parents- thank you for sharing your babies with us. They will be so loved!
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