Let's Hear It For The TEACHERS!!!!

     (esoule)

       They're everywhere. Teachers I mean. If you don't think so, think about how you learned how to drive. How you learned to play music or sports. How you learned how to hold your eating utensils correctly when you were a kid...

       (ifonlyshehadboughtit)

            ...How you learned what was the best things to 'eat' in order to make your body work appropriately. Yes, we've had a 'lot' of people trying to teach us that!! LOL

       I've had some great teachers over the years. And I've learned something long-lasting from each and every one of them....Even the ones that weren't so good at being a teacher! (They didn't realize that even though they weren't consciously teaching me...they still 'were'!)

     So, because it's Sunday, the end of the week, quiet, a good day for reflection, and everywhere I turn the subject seems to keep coming up!....I thought I'd take today and reflect on teachers....and what they taught me...And besides, I can hear you saying: "Aww!! Just go ahead and 'talk about it already!'" LOL That was 'YOU' that said that, right?! ^_^

 (ALikelyStory)

      I've mentioned on this blog, many times, about my growing up years in the South. And I think I've mentioned that I had an elementary school music teacher who taught me a great lesson. But I don't think I ever told you the lesson he taught me.

       (BannerGirlDesign)

       I don't remember all of the details anymore....I'm 'Old' People!!...but I do remember that there was some kind of School performance planned where my music class would be able to perform in the auditorium in front of the whole School, and that my teacher had decided that since, as he said, I had the best voice, he would let me sing the solo....Close To You, by the Carpenters! :-)

      I was so excited!!!...But on the day he slotted for us to do the rehearsals, I didn't go to School. :-( It wasn't my fault. Long story! But anyway, the day of the performance I still foolishly thought that because I had the best voice, I would be singing my little heart out in front of everybody!!

     That morning the teacher pulled me aside and told me that he was sorry, but since I hadn't rehearsed, he was going to let 'Sally' (can't remember her real name now) do the solo! 

         (MariamSitchinava)

          I remember saying, in tears: "But you said I had the best voice!!" :-( He said: "You do. But it wouldn't be fair to allow you to take center stage when the others have been here practicing so hard, would it? Even 'Sally' knows you're the best. That's why she's worked so hard. I want to reward her for that."

       (sentimentalstones)

          I'm not gonna lie, I was mad as a hornet!!! LOL But in retrospect, I realize that he taught me something that day that has stayed with me all these years....hard work pays off!!... He also taught me that just because you do something better than other people doesn't mean that no one else could do it! You're not irreplaceable, so you better do the work!! 

    I also learned the lesson of humility that day. And of patience...having to watch 'Sally' in the lime-light, and clap for her when she was done.  I've, since then,  learned how to 'suck it up' and be happy for all of the Sallys of the world, who may not be the best, but they show up to do the work!...That's been  a reoccurring lesson throughout the years!

       In High School (10th through 12th grade) I played basketball for the School. My coach, who also was the Gym teacher, was a woman with a lot of people skills, but not many sporting skills! Good thing too, because we lost...a LOT!!! LOL And we needed a lot of consoling!!

      Somehow though, no matter how many games we came home from the road upset about, she was always there with that 'little old ant' attitude! She had such high hopes for us! :-))

      (RebecCards)

        Her hopes didn't make us win, but they sure gave us the will to keep trying...every week! Of course, part of that was the fact that we knew, win or lose, she'd either take us out to eat at McDonald's, or we'd all go, as a team, over to her house to play games or cook something good. :-) My first taste of homemade spaghetti and meatballs was at her house!!

        What did I learn from her?!...That losing is not the worst thing in the world that could ever happen to you! :-) Even losing can help you build friendships and have a new experience! {Too bad I didn't learn how to be a better team player though. ^_^ I haven't been very good at that over the years. But hey! I've got high hopes that one day I'll learn that lesson too!! LOL}

        My High School 'Drama' teacher (Acting and the Arts teacher), a woman who would not take 'NO' for an answer, gave us an end of the term exam one year that consisted of her saying: "At the end of this scene you have to scream at the top of your lungs. If you do, you get an 'A'. If you don't, you get an 'E' (which was the epitome of a failing grade)"!!

       (lilbasketcase)

              I was horrified at the idea of doing this in her class...in front of everybody!....where the whole school would, no doubt, come running to see what was the matter with me! O_0 I tried every trick in the book to get out of it, but she wasn't having it!! She finally made me so mad that I screamed....at her!!! LOL....I got an 'A', and I learned to not be afraid to do something that I never did before. Sometimes it works out wonderfully!

      Before her class I spent most of my time walking around looking at my shoes. Shy. VERY shy! But since then my fear of the unknown has an edge of excitement about it...within reason. ^_^ I'm not jumping out of airplanes, but I 'am' doing a blog every day....on the internet!!!! LOL (insert loud scream here) ^_^

       Lastly, the teacher that taught me my love of words...

        (RoyalKitness)

           Well, actually, I've had more than one teacher in this area. My mother had a great love for words and reading, so I'm sure a lot of my love was passed through the genes. :-) And my art teacher loved doing collages with words, cutting out words to glue onto stuff, and verbally sounding out words in funny ways. LOL...But my English High School teacher surely focused my love of words!

       She made us write essays and then read them aloud in front of the class; We de-coded Beatles songs...

        (Kelbean)

           ...(I'll share my favorite one at the end of the post); we deciphered Edgar Allen Poe's stories and poetry; etc... I absolutely loved her mind! :-) It was all bubbly, creative, and musical!! :-)

       (lucysnowephotography)

        And 'her' mind made 'my' mind expand!!...She was a great teacher! :-]
        My greatest teachers are still teaching me today! I'm a constant and veracious learner too! It's a lifetime education. :-) An everlasting lifetime I hope!!

      Please, tell me about your teachers. What did you learn from them?! Are they things that still stick with you today?! How about...let's hear it for our teachers!!!! :-)        

       A penny for your thoughts!! ^_^ 

 About My Teachers

Let me tell you about my teachers!
Those who let my spirit fly.
Those who taught me self-control.
Those who always made me try.

My music teacher, small in size,
whose unsung words would sometimes sting;
He taught humility and patience,
while also teaching me to sing.

My English teacher, gregarious,
whose toothy smile was just as loud;
She taught me confidence and joy,
and to be fearless in a crowd.

My drama teacher, A or E,
from her I earned my hardest grade.
It was for letting out a scream.
From which I learned: 'Be Not Afraid'.

For basketball, and also Gym,
My coach would train us like a nut!
And though we lost, most every time,
I learned to try, no matter what.

I learned to cater and to waitress
from a crew who taught me well.
In fact, so many new experiences
that I now can hardly tell.

My Bible teacher too,
taught me that 'I must forgive';
And by teaching me God's laws,
also taught me how to live.

To my teachers, one and all,
bold, soft-spoken, shy or tough,
Thanks for teaching me the knowledge
that being 'me' is good enough!