Who I Share My Classroom With

 Right before school started last fall, I found a neat sign to add to my classroom décor.  It says, “What I love most about my classroom is who I share it with.” I loved the sentiment and displayed it proudly on the top of a bookshelf in an area my students frequent.  As teacher appreciation week came and went last week, I looked at that sign frequently.  And it hit me… on a daily basis I physically share my classroom with 15 pretty cool eight-, nine-, and ten-year-old kiddos.  However, they have no idea that they share my classroom with SO many more people.  It is shared with a lot of people they have never met, because who I am as a teacher was shaped by so many teachers who influenced my life.

 My mom was the first teacher that I wanted to model.  She had a fantastic 35 year career teaching high school math.  But she was so much more than a math teacher.  She found ways to take her kids on cool STEM field trips before STEM was even an educational trend.  She never missed a dress-up day, attended every graduation party that we were invited to, cheered for her students at ballgames, served on schoolwide committees, coached academic teams, and sought out professional development opportunities even though she had a life license and wasn’t required to do PD hours.  And those were just the things I noticed from the perspective of an elementary/jr high child- I’m sure if I looked back at her career now with the eyes of a teacher, I would see even more.  I saw her dedication and work ethic, I saw students admire her, and I wanted to be like that. 

 

My students are also influenced by teachers like Mrs. Stuckwisch who helped a fourth-grade-girl develop a passion for novels and project based learning.  And by Mr. Stuckwisch who helped me do more than I thought I could in high school math by having high expectations for his students.  They are influenced by Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt who helped me learn that teachers don’t just want to see their students succeed in the classroom, but more importantly in life, and have continued to encourage me even as an adult.  They don’t know the names of teachers like Ellen Capes, Jennifer Laman and SO many other amazing teachers who helped mold me during the early years of my career by walking me through the ins and outs of curriculum development, successful reading and math group set-ups, and effective classroom systems- and who most importantly loved me and supported me through hard days and celebrated with me on the awesome ones.  My students don't know Diane Abernathy, but have often benefitted from her generosity as she uses her retirement to pour love and belief into younger teachers' classrooms.  They will never meet Mr. B, but they love my “dress for every holiday” that he influenced.  They daily benefit from the encouragement and evaluations of administrators like Dr. Sargent, Mr. Hearne, and Mr. Comer who helped a young teacher believe in herself, try new things, and guided her back in the right direction when she needed that too.  And in the last four years, my students have even felt the influence of my great-grandmother.  I used to love when she told me stories of her experiences as a one-room schoolhouse teacher, and now as I teach in a small, rural school where I have two grades in one room, I have often giggled to myself as I have now related more than once to some of her experiences. 

 

When I think about who I really share my classroom with, we wouldn’t all fit in those four walls.  THANK YOU, to an amazing group of teachers (SO many more than I named here) who poured into me as a student and as a colleague.  Because of YOU, I am a better teacher for it.  And because of you, 15 cool kids benefit every day.  I doubt I will ever live up to the awesome examples set before me, but I will always try.  Happy (belated) Teacher Appreciation Week!

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3