Since November is ( for those who live in the U.S.) the month of Thanksgiving, I want to take the next three weeks to make daily posts about things I am grateful for. There was an old hymn I heard growing up called “Count your blessings”. So since I believe gratitude begets blessings, (and we could use a little more of that,) Come with me as we go on this journey of thankfulness.
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
― William Arthur Ward
I’ve been blessed with an abundance of great teachers in my life. Both those who have taken on the title officially and those who have not. Great teachers incite hope and ignite the fires of invention and imagination. Teaching has been called ‘the noble profession’ but i think the term is a bit of a misnomer. To me, teaching is sacred. A child’s mind is like a pristine wilderness and our survival depends on keeping it untainted. A society that values education and holds teachers in high esteem and compensates them accordingly, is a society that will thrive. Those that do not have only themselves to thank for their demise.
Teachers are like good gardeners they sometimes plant seeds and may not see the end results. There are things I was taught as a child and young man that still are producing fruit to this day. Mrs. Wood’s English class is a good example of this. She taught us the Latin and Greek suffixes and prefixes which still enable me to learn new words. Great teachers plant the seeds which become an orchard of sustenance and a garden of aesthetic beauty.
So to Mrs Wood, Max Brown, Stephen Shapiro, Dr Ferrer , Steve Larson, Mrs. Wind, Ms. Foote, Dr.Guess, Dr. Frederickson, Mr. Scott, Mrs. Price, Mrs. Westphall, Mrs. Quiggans, Mrs. Puntaney and the countless others my most sincere and grateful thanks, for all you have taught me, May I prove myself worthy of your kindness and generosity of spirit.
