Today is Teacher Appreciation Day, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s intentionally scheduled for the beginning of May to get teachers through the home stretch. I grew up with a teacher, so I know that it’s a lot of hard work (and usually thankless). Today I’m joining Christa at The Dark Side of the Chalkboard in showing my appreciation for the hard-working teachers out there.
The teacher that I want to highlight today is the primary person responsible for my desire to be a math teacher one day. Her name is Mrs. Reeves, and she was one of my high school math teachers (I’m thinking it was Algebra III..but that hardly matters).
Math was always a subject I enjoyed, but since it’s something that comes easily to me, I wouldn’t usually try very hard. There’s a reason why the only F I’ve gotten on a test was in a math class…I tend to take pride in my grasp of the subject, and as we know, pride comes before a fall.
But Mrs. Reeves wouldn’t let me get away with it. I remember one time getting an extra credit question on an exam marked wrong, even though I had the correct answer. I wasn’t too happy with that. I certainly didn’t need the boost to my grade, but that wasn’t the point…I wanted to be right.
When I approached her about the issue, she told me she marked it wrong as I hadn’t used the method we had learned in that chapter to solve the problem. She told me to solve it this way, and she’d give me back that point. (And yes, I did and she gave me that point.)
By challenging me, she was helping me to not only practice the skills I was learning in her class, but also to improve my problem-solving skills, something that would outlast my academic career.
Mrs. Reeves worked hard to reach all kinds of students. We had to do in-class labs (I’ve never enjoyed group work or hands-on things, but I know many kids do). She shared with us creative ways to remember mathematical rules (like a man (Y) can have more than one woman (X), but a woman can have only one man…this is the definition of functions, but a poor rule of society). She showed us practical applications of the math we’re learning by graphically showing us the distribution of grades.
I’m thankful for Mrs. Reeves and all the other excellent teachers I’ve had over the years. I hope to be among their ranks some day.
I’m still in contact with one of my college professors, and she’s always interested in what’s going on in my life, even though I haven’t been her student in years. I love teachers like that! The ones that you are their students forever.
I, too, still keep in touch with one of my teachers, and I am 76…she is 86. She was so understanding, patient, and considerate…in geomerty (had a miserable algebra teacher)and Spanish.
What a great day. I’ve been blessed to have some really wonderful teachers in my life. I wish I was still in touch with them, but we didn’t have email back in the day I graduated from high school, it was really just starting when I left college, so I’ve lost touch.
Well Ms. Alexander and Ms. Heiser, wherever you are. You’re the best.
Thanks for stopping in to make my SITS day so spectacular. Your time and words mean the world to me.
Lots of yummy love,
Alex aka Ma, What’s for Dinner
http://www.mawhats4dinner.com
You may have a career ahead of you in teaching my girls high school math. ;)
Isnt that cool how you still remember things about a teacher you had? I can remember my FIRST GRADE teacher like yesterday… LOVED her!!!
Veronica and G. Zoe: That’s awesome that you keep in contact! I don’t with any of my teachers, but I still think about several of them a lot.
Alex: We DID have email back when I was in high school, but I’m still not in touch with any past teachers.
Cheryl: That’d be awesome. =)
Rebecca Jo: I have very fond memories of many of my teachers as well.
My mom is a teacher, so I grew up seeing just how much hard work goes into a job that garners so little respect – so it’s really nice to see someone pay tribute to the biggest influences on our formative lives outside our parents :-)
A couple of inspiring teachers helped me make it through boarding school – which was otherwise just a prison (in my opinion).
I am also fortunate to have had many excellent teachers during my school years. I still keep in touch with my 1st grade teacher on Facebook!
Thanks for stopping by my blog today! :)
This post really hits home for me — I was going to be a teacher once, but during student teaching I realized I just wasn’t cut out for it. Now that I know, from experience, how hard teachers work and how important their work is, I appreciate them even more. Nice post!
Also, I gave you an award! Click on over to my blog to check it out:
http://tastingtouchinghearingseeing.blogspot.com/2010/05/all-shall-love-me-and-despaaaiiir.html
An addition to my teacher…e-mail…we knew nothing like that in the 50s…we still use the good, old US Postal Service where you write letters and mail with a postage stamp…you know people still do that, don’t you????
She sounds like a great teacher! The best ones are always the ones that challenge you :)
Thanks for giving some love to us teachers!
A touching post. And speaking as a teacher, we don’t hear enough of these heartfelt tales. Do you have a way of getting in touch with Mrs. Reeves. If so, you should share!
Hi Ronnica! Thanks for joining me over on the Dark Side for a day! What a great story! =)
I love the idea of this post. I ‘m sure everyone has a story to tell about how a teacher had a great effect on their life in some way. I think I just might do this on my blog too!
Teachers, most underpaid, hardest working, make a difference sort of people in the world! (ok, right up there next to Mothers! Both of which we’ll celebrate this week!)
Shayna: Me too…from how much work my mom put into it, I know what it requires!
Lady Fi: I’d love to hear more…have to see if you’ve blogged about your prison–I mean boarding school–years.
Lori: That’s awesome! I’m not in contact with any, but I should seek them out!
Melissa: Yeah, I LOVE teaching. Never done it in official settings, but I’m blessed with opportunities to teach at church and occasionally at work. And thanks for the reward!
Christy: No problem…thanks for hosting this!
Rhonadlue: I think it’s important to honor those who have had such an impact on our lives!
My mom is a teacher, too, and I have a ton of respect for what she does. I wish I had her patience!
As a 2nd grade teacher, I appreciate the shout out and teacher-tribute. It’s great to hear that you had someone who made you feel worthy and pushed you to succeed!
I hope that if I can’t make a difference every day, at least by the end of our 180 days together, I have impacted their lives for the better, somehow.
Way to go, SITS-tah!
htpp://CrowningVictoria.blogspot.com
Thank you for your visit today!
I think this tribute to your teacher is wonderful. This is the kind of teacher appreciation I think, that counts.
I can do without flowers, etc. But heartfelt appreciation, well, that sends me to the moon and back!
Thank you for putting this out there.