About to From
During teacher training, I took several classes on Child Development. I learned a lot about children. When I started teaching, I learned that what I knew about children was much less important than what I learned from them.
In my twenty-five years of teaching, every student taught me something. James taught me to persevere working for weeks to add two-digit numbers. Morgan taught me that kindness overrides classwork when, instead of doing a worksheet, she made a card for a hurting friend. Jonathan taught me that there are many ways to solve a problem when he taped all his crayons together so he wouldn’t lose them after the box broke. Andrew taught me to let others take center stage when he stayed quiet even when he knew the answer. Joy taught me that I could be wrong.
Riley informed me that the best way to learn about nature isn’t by looking in a book but in a comfortable lawn chair in the garden with a nice tall glass of ice tea. Leah taught me to count to ten when frustrated and to use words to explain my feelings. Stephen showed me courage when he shared his feelings after his father died. The class taught me empathy when they patted him on the back and were extra kind.
Jeff taught me acceptance when his mother remarried bringing him a new father and two siblings. Owen demonstrated patience when he volunteered to help a difficult classmate. Brooke reminded me that a mother’s instructions come in handy. Melina taught me that friends, even when they make you cry, are worth having.
Emily gave me the music of words with her poetry. Kate tackled math problems with a glee most reserve for cake and ice cream. Shy Laura spoke up with her sweet singing. Charles stayed focused on his work the day the ants swarmed the lunch boxes. Chad listened patiently when Jared’s new retainer made him difficult to understand. Melvin taught me how to dance in a wheelchair and Katherine showed me how to race with a walker.
Some students had less but gave more. Jason and Shawn were always the first to share when supplies ran short. Kiki organized my bookshelves, straightened the desks, and wiped off the blackboard without being asked. Diego translated for students learning English. Angelica cut Valentines from scrap paper. Sean put all his souvenir money in the “Feed the Animals” box at the zoo.
Hands shot into the air every time I said, “I need a volunteer,” without knowing what they would be asked to do. No one sat alone in the lunchroom or played alone on the playground unless they wanted to. Sure, we had squabbles and tempers but we worked it out together. We joyfully joined hands and hearts to make our classroom a safe, fun, and caring place.
My students outshone me as teachers without any training at all. Wide smiles, sweet voices, irrepressible joy, copious tears, and soft hands reaching for mine taught me to view every day as an adventure — you never know what will happen or where you will go, but if we go together, all will be well.
The lessons I learned from my students will never fade or grow old. They live in my heart right next to my kids.
