I am probably one of the few people you know who was put in the hall in Kindergarten. That is the present day version of time out. I continued refining my abilities though elementary school. By the time I hit junior high I was a master. In seventh grade, I was partially responsible for one of my teachers having a nervous breakdown. By eighth grade, I was a daily visitor to the Principals office forced to do math, and attitude adjustment, led by the Vice Principal – his nickname was mighty mouse, fwiw. By senior high, I had learned to stay below the radar screen. I was only in serious trouble once in tenth grade for splattering enamel paint across the school Principal’s white shirt and tie. I did not know he was behind me when I spun and flung the paint.
In my first year of college, I spent some time visiting with the Dean on a few occasions during the year. At the end of the spring semester, the Dean told me I was not welcomed back next year. I had my supporters though. There were people who were willing to pay my way through college if I would become a teacher, or social worker. I had enough experience watching me in action, to know I was not cut out for either career, even though they thought I would be perfect. So I turned them down.
Thinking about myself, reminded me there are two educator’s right in my own family. Female Heroes, and educational role models, both of them. I have just been oblivious to them! I want to talk about each of them in turn, as they both deserve a lot more than the few words I have for them.
One is a Principal of an Elementary School. She has worked very hard to achieve this life long dream of hers. She is a credit to her school system she is an integral part of. Her students are a mixed bunch, some of the parent(s) are struggling on many fronts. She manages to keep the school running, ensures her students get as much of what they need as she can from the system, and the community. Of course it is never enough, and there is never enough to really go around, but she manages to stretch what there is for as many of her students as she can. She is a great example of dedication, and love for her work. I hope she does not have students like I was, to contend with on top of everything else.
A second family member is a teacher’s assistant. In these times of no child left behind, she is one of the few who happily takes on the hardest kids of the bunch. She takes care of, and helps teach kids with serious learning, emotional, or psychological problems. Some of these kids have been learning their alphabets for a couple of years, and still have difficulty keeping the letters in order. Yet she loves her work! She does not even see it as a job, but something she looks forward to doing each day.
These are some real Female Heroes! I know every city, and many family’s have them, but we rarely celebrate them. Many teacher’s teaching today – if they didn’t have a burning passion for what they do each day – could double, or triple their salary in the private sector. Yet there they are, five days a week, making a difference! And they do not get extra pay when a student like I was comes along.
The next time you meet with a Teacher, think about what they are doing for you and your community. If you are like me, and you come up short in the comparison, let them know how special you think they are for what they do. Supporting your local school with time or supplies once in a while helps too.
