Below are a couple
excerpts I found particularly poignant from the Connections column in March 23rd’s
Globe Magazine. (Check it out at
http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2014/03/22/what-great-teachers/vmeEwseIKWDxgvGNywNgjK/story.html.)
Almond reflects on his experience as both a student and a teacher. (Then I’ll
add my two cents…)
“A good teacher, after all, wields the
authority of a parent with none of the psychological baggage. The best of them
are semi-mysterious figures whose wisdom seems boundless and whose approval helps
us discover who we are.”
“Teaching, especially at
the primary and secondary levels, isn't about giving grandiose speeches or
playing the Svengali. It’s about managing classrooms full of kids at very
different places intellectually, emotionally, and psychologically. It’s about
prepping students for standardized tests when you'd rather be fostering their
imaginations. Most of all, it’s about the thousands of small acts of attention,
of encouragement and guidance and discipline, by which a teacher transmits his
[or her] passion for learning to his [or her] charges. Standing before a class,
you have to portray your best self – fair, patient, wise – for hours on end.”
This year Teacher
Appreciation Day is May 6th, but it’s never too early or too late to
thank a teacher who inspired you or your child(ren). Melrose is fortunate to
have so many excellent teachers – slip one of them a note soon – you’ll make
their day!
