This topic is dedicated to the teachers in my life (demand, graduated)

[riaelise]

I apologize in advance if this post is not articulated very well. I'm tired and it has been a long day at work. This is purely an emotional, heartfelt post as I sit here at the computer reminiscing about the teachers that I've had in my life. I'm privileged to have had (for the most part) teachers who truly cared about me and my well being. Who weren't afraid to bust my butt when I was being lazy. Who weren't afraid to challenge me and demand more. Who gave me countless words of encouragement as well as constructive criticism. I can't overstate how influential teachers have been in my life and I wish I could have told them that years ago instead of right now, at 38. Truth is, many of my old teachers have since passed away, are quite old (they were middle aged or older years ago) or have moved elsewhere. I've tried googling them to find out what has happened to them, only to find obits or nothing. In particular, there was this one teacher/administrator that I had in high school named Ms. Wilson who demanded nothing short of excellence from me. I was scholastic, to an extent, but prone to getting "bored" and slacking off. She would have none of it. In addition, she always stayed after hours and handled all the extracirriculars..so in a way, she looked after all of us. My high school was a rough high school with drugs and gangs (my program was more of a college prep program, but the overall school was reminiscent of Eastside High from Lean on Me). I know she often came home really late each night but she was always there...our National Honor Society meetings, our class productions, taking us to Broadway plays (something that was not part of the school)... I had a very involved parent, so don't get me wrong, I wasn't lacking anything at home, but I can't say enough just how special this person was to me. After I graduated and went on to college, I lost contact with her. The last time I saw her, she had since left the school and was teaching elsewhere..fed up with the politics that permeated throughout the NYC Board of Ed. Me? I just moved on with my life. I found out years later that she had died...she was only in her 60s. It's been something that has haunted me for some time because I wish that I could've told her how I turned out. I've tried to look her up online but can't find anything because her name is so common and I really don't know any other information. I have fallen out of touch with fellow classmates. All I have are my memories. So, to sum it all up, to all the teachers on this board, please know how important you are and many times, we students don't tell you, but your work and effort isn't forgotten.

[Oldhag1]

Thanks. Technology has made things different now, I've had quite a few former students reach out to me through Facebook. It is beyond gratifying to know they are doing well, that is what I wanted for them. Some have told me how I impacted their life, and often it is kids that I has no idea that what I did was making a difference for them because they were good kids, doing what good kids do, so they didn't stand out. A couple have been kids who told me I was what stood between them and going down the wrong path, for those I always give a prayer of thanks to God for helping me do the right thing. I have always considered it a privilege to teach because I was given the chance to actually change the world, even if it was only one kid at a time. I really miss teaching.