Every November, I use this blog to express my gratitude for those people in my past who have formed the educator I am today. These have mostly been teachers I had in middle and high school. I am continually thankful for formative people, but this year, I want to express my gratitude for the people who are currently in my educational life. I will do this in three posts because I am thankful for my current administration, the parents of my students, and the colleagues with whom I share my daily life. This post will be about the teachers of GRACE Christian School.
This is the most important post of the Thanksgiving series. While admin is important, they do not necessarily set the tone of your day. While supportive parents matter a lot, you don't see them or hear from them that often. Your colleagues are the closest people to you and the ones who can make your day better.
It's hard to overestimate the importance of the teachers right around you. When you have a problem, you turn to them for support and advice. When you have good news, you want to share it with them because you know they will understand it more fully than anyone else. When you step out into the hall and make eye contact with them in their room, volumes are spoken without words through a smile or the raise of an eyebrow. While I love all the teachers at GRACE, I want to express my gratitude specifically for a few.
My art teacher friend, Elizabeth, is the friend you want to have. She'll tell you what you need to hear, but she'll do it in the most loving way. She'll celebrate with you, help you with whatever scheme you are hatching, and give you a hug just when you need one. In the 2019/2020 school year, I ate lunch in her classroom every day, with a small group of senior art students. She made me part of the class (except I didn't get graded for doing art projects). When we went into remote learning, she sent me the link so I could continue to eat lunch with them. It was one small bit of "normal" that helped me maintain my sanity. She has always framed it as my doing her a favor, but it meant more to me than she could know.
My room is placed in an area of the hall where the walls are blue, so we have called ourselves "Blue Pod" since moving in. There have been a number of great blue pod members (and some that just moved on through), but I would say the best total group is there today.
- Zane, a biology and anatomy teacher, was higher standards than anyone I know. He challenges students at a high level, but they also know he will support them in meeting those standards. His room is always hopping with students asking questions, attending help classes, or studying a skeleton. He's been at GRACE the same number of years as I have, so we've been through a lot together. I can say just a few words or a name, and he knows exactly what story is associated with it. I am grateful for our history together.
- Julianne is the most encouraging person I've ever met. No matter the situation, she's always looking for the good or the lesson God is teaching her or the part she should be thankful for. She's not a Pollyanna; she doesn't silver-line your pain. She is just purely encouraging. If a student has complimented you in her class, she will track you down to make sure you know about it. She always challenges me to find a more Godly perspective, and I am thankful for that.
- Melanie is the friend who checks on you. Once, I left not long after school got out. That night, I had an email from her, asking if I was okay. She thought perhaps I was sick or upset about something and wanted to check-in. During the lockdown, she was the one who said, "Let's figure out a way to safely eat lunch together or go for a walk. Near the start of this year, when I was especially down, she said she was concerned about me and suggested that we laugh together on Friday afternoons.
- Meagan is the person I go to for wisdom. She wants to make sure she doesn't live in an echo chamber so she reads and listens to podcasts that offer a differing perspective from her own. When I have a complex issue to deal with, she's the one who can help me analyze it from all sides. Hers was the room I went to on January 6th, and she's the one I ask to read a reply to a parent email if I want to make sure I'm not being rude. She takes on responsibility with grace and poise. Even though I am over a decade her senior, she is who I want to be when I grow up.
There are others who I could talk about for specific events, and there are a Latin teacher, Bible teachers, and an English teacher who have moved on to other jobs; but the ones mentioned here are the people who impact my life each and every day. It's an embarrassment of blessings, and I am grateful for them all. Thank you, Lord for my co-laborers in education.
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