It's been way too long since I got a chance to write. I lost my best friend in May and it's been a long hard summer getting back on track. But get on track I must because it's what we teachers do whether we're still in the classroom or not.
My best friend was an amazing teacher - one of the best. She was more than an English teacher. She challenged her students, made them work harder than they ever did before, all while nurturing them and teaching them how good citizens operate in this world. She was always there for them with a caring heart and a stash of candy in the desk drawer for those just before lunch classes with student stomachs growling.
We would always meet students out and about and I was amazed that she not only remembered their names but many more details about their time in her class, the colleges they were thinking of attending, who they were dating. Those former students just glowed knowing that she remembered all that about them.
So as another school year starts, I'd like to hope that many more teachers will take the time to connect with students as she did. Our kids need good adult role models who care about them as people. The world lost an outstanding teacher this summer but we all have the chance every year to start fresh and add some of the secrets of success that made her so great.
Happy school year!
