Posted by Partlycloudy on October 2, 2008, at 7:24:34
In reply to p.s. » lucie lu, posted by lucie lu on October 2, 2008, at 2:52:45
> I forgot to add that Joe went right over to see her, and came back really touched and happy that he'd made an impact on her. She spent a good half hour with him despite him. She told me afterwards that she enjoyed it as much as he did.
>
> Have you tried getting back in touch with any of these wonderful teachers? I would put money on it that the would absolutely love to hear from you. That would reinforce your feelings of being well-nurtured which is nice to hold onto.
>
> - LucieOnce when I went back home for a visit I saw that my fourth-grade teacher was working in a record store. I was filled with panic - he had been a strict disciplinarian, but also affectionate, and had done some after school tutoring of a couple of us students for French language skills, which weren't part of the school's program at that time. I had moved from Quebec the previous school year, and was quickly losing what vocabulary I had learned to that point because the province we had moved to didn't have teaching French as part of the curriculum until high school - by which time I would have probably lost most of my language skills. This teacher really gave me a huge gift (and told me that I was special in having the knowledge that I came to the class with - something that nobody else had ever done before).
I screwed up my courage to approach my old teacher in the store - it had been over 25 years since he'd laid eyes on me. He knew *exactly* who I was, what my story had been, and was clearly pleased to have been recognized.
Another time (in the same store, actually!), I recognized the last name on an employee's tag, and discovered that he was the brother of my favorite music teacher in senior public school. He said that people were constantly telling him how much they loved his brother (that must have been a tough gig for him!).
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> > PC, your post was beautiful. What a valuable insight, that there were riches in your past among all the less-than-wonderful things. I have a friend who taught elementary school for four decades. She has taught the parents of her students. She was very successful and when she retired it was a big deal to the community. Over the summer, we had some friends over and they brought their 20-something son "Joe" with them. At dinner, my friend's name came up because she had been Joe's teacher and she had really changed his life. She lives nearby so I gave her a call, and even though she was on her way out, she wanted to see Joe. Although she had taught probably close to 1,000 kids over the years, she remembered everything about Joe. That tells you how important kids are to teachers. I would bet that the teachers who meant so much to you remember you too. Connections between students and teachers are very deep and meaningful, and I'm very glad to know that you've been in touch with yours.
> >
> > Best, Lucie
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>
poster:Partlycloudy
thread:855052
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080920/msgs/855248.html