Teacher Appreciation Day

Grace

Today is Teacher Appreciation Day. I thought in honor of this day, it might be nice to write about a teacher who had a big impact on me.

When I was a junior in high school, I took AP US history. I had to petition to get into the class in the first place, because I hadn’t taken honors world history, and that was a prerequisite for the class. I did manage to get on a waiting list (the class was full), and then eventually got a space in the class. Of course, this was a big deal, because if I was successful in the class, and later with the AP exam, I would get college credit before I ever got to college.

It was, as you might expect, a difficult class. The teacher had high expectations, and gave out a lot of assignments. He also had a good sense of humor, though, as was evidenced by the fact that he used Dave Barry Slept Here as a classroom resource. He challenged us, worked with us, made us laugh, and even occasionally yelled at us. In short, he was a pretty darn good teacher.

The closer we got to the end of the school year, the more frazzled everyone in the class became. Of course, the end goal was passing the AP exam, and it loomed on the horizon. But the day finally came, and the test was taken, and there was a general sense of relief, which only increased once I learned I had been successful in obtaining the college credit I was hoping for.

But there was still one small matter…the class final. I studied hard for it. I expected to do well…if I had passed the AP exam, surely one final wouldn’t be a problem. I thought I was prepared…and then I proceeded to completely bomb the test. We’re talking tanked so badly that my entire grade for the class was going to take a major hit.

I made an appointment to talk to the teacher about it. Partly to see what I had screwed up, but I suppose part of me hoped that when we looked it over, it would become obvious that there was a mistake with the Scantron machine (remember those?), or that I would discover that I missed filling in one bubble, resulting in all of my answers being correct, but in the wrong place.

That didn’t happen. I still don’t really know why I apparently forgot everything I had learned, but I discovered that I had just done a really, really poor job on the test. And there was nothing I could say about, no defense I could give. So I thanked my teacher for his time, and left school, knowing that I may have earned some college credit that year, but that I had hurt my overall GPA because I had done so much damage to my grade in that class.

I got in my car to go home, and I think I was probably crying. And as I started driving out of the parking lot, I noticed my history teacher walking down the sidewalk. And then he waved me over. So I pulled up next to him, and rolled down the window. And he said some words that I have never forgotten:

“I’m not going to give you the lower grade for the class. You came to me, and admitted that you screwed up the exam. If you had whined or complained or debated with me about your grade, if you had asked me to change it, you would have received the grade you deserve. But you didn’t, and I know you learned the material, so I’m not changing your grade.”

I learned more in that moment at a public high school about grace than I did in all my years at Lutheran day school. He didn’t have to do that for me…maybe he even shouldn’t have. I really did deserve to receive a lower grade for that semester. But for some reason that spring afternoon, he looked at a student that he thought needed a little extra grace and encouragement, and he extended it to me. It wasn’t something I asked for…it couldn’t have been. But it was grace that was freely given to me, and it’s something I’ve never forgotten, even 20 years later.

A Sense of Accomplishment–Musings on “Teacher Appreciation Day”

Today is “Teacher Appreciation Day,” a small part of “Teacher Appreciation Week.” Let me tell you, there’s nothing like “Teacher Appreciation” for making a homeschool mom feel like she’s not a real teacher. Stores and restaurants have specials for teachers when they present their IDs; newspapers, magazines, and TV stations are looking for stories of great teachers. Nobody is looking to recognize and thank someone like me.

But, even though I’m not the model teacher, I thought I’d share my greatest accomplishment as a teacher anyway. Ladybug is dyslexic. I’m not sure that I’ve even mentioned that before. We think that it’s at least in part due to the fact that she had to wear an eye patch for so long. But a year ago, I finally admitted it, and honestly, I knew it even before then. Reading was a major struggle for her, and that was just the tip of the iceberg, as dyslexia also affects things like math proficiency, learning style in general, and even behavior.

After I finally admitted her struggles, I looked into what I could do to help her. I talked to one of the special ed people at Moose’s school, who has children of her own that have struggled with this issue, and she both affirmed my decision to keep homeschooling Ladybug, and gave me some ideas for things we could differently, including some new ideas for curriculum. I was grateful, overwhelmed, and terrified.

We started this school year with a lot of things that were new, to her, and to me…things I hadn’t used or tried with Turkey and Bunny. We struggled through reading assignments…very simple assignments. There were days when we both cried. Ladybug, because she was so frustrated that she couldn’t do it, because she didn’t want to keep trying, and me because I felt so bad as an avid reader myself that she didn’t like reading, and also because I was frustrated with myself as a teacher, and, honestly, a little frustrated with her, even though I knew it wasn’t her fault.

But, we kept trying. We kept working all year, together, on reading. Very short books to start, then longer (but still quite short) stories. Not even Green Eggs and Ham length, but we were reading. There were days when she turned letters, and even whole words, around. But we kept persevering. And eventually, it got better. She started reading with more confidence. She made fewer mistakes when reading out loud. There were days, especially when she was tired or was not feeling well, that she fell back into old habits. But we kept on keeping on.

I realized, just in the last few weeks, that she is reading for pleasure. Because she wants to. And not just longer books. Chapter books. On her own. Yes, she’s still reading them out loud to herself (who cares?), and sometimes she still needs help, but she’s doing it! She’s reading!

I did that.

I encouraged her and challenged her, and kept up with her, even when I’m pretty sure others, even the school system, would have given up. I stuck with it, and now she’s a reader.

I know that this is something that she’ll continue to struggle with on some level, maybe for her whole life. But we have overcome the greatest hurdle together, and she is now a reader. And, yes, I’m bragging, but her reading is in part due to my influence (and, lest you think I’m not giving her the credit she deserves, also in large part due to her determination, and, yes, stubbornness).

So, the world may not view me as a real teacher. But I know the truth. And I dare anyone to spend a day in my shoes, and say that what I’m doing doesn’t count!

Teacher Appreciation Day

Apparently, today is Teacher Appreciation Day. Who knew?

Given my lack of knowledge on this subject, you can imagine my surprise when these beautiful flowers arrived at my door today, courtesy of my favorite students (with some help from Grandma)!

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