No printed word, nor spoken plea can teach young minds what they should be. Not all the books on all the shelves – but what the teachers are themselves.
Rudyard Kipling
My French teacher in middle school was in her mid-twenties when she was my teacher. I was always amazed by her energy, which seemed boundless in relation to her frustrating, neo-teen students. She was an incredibly passionate person and her interests became more and more apparent in French class when her French lessons veered away from the language to the politics and culture of the third-world locations where the language was spoken. She taught mini-human rights lessons and enlightened us to the plight of NGOs in Haiti. She organized a fundraiser in our class to raise money for Heffer so that we could buy cows and goats for poor families in Haiti.
During my eighth grade year, she started a class called "Teens Around the World". You have no idea how much I regretted not taking this course. I wanted to focus on "real" classes, classes that prepared me for college. And then I figured, when I get to college I could take courses like Teens Around the World. That opportunity never came though and I think I missed out on a class that could have really helped me blossom into the person I am trying to be now.
Her class focused on teenagers around the world and their experiences, particularly in third-world and developing nations. She wanted to expose us to more than just Spice Girls and Melrose Place. Whenever I think about teaching or working in schools, I think about this class and how I wish every school had a course like this. Now, over 14 years after taking her courses, I am trying to implement something similar at the base high school. I'm amazed by how much her passion and interests have affected me now and I think and hope I am not the only one. She was an amazing teacher and I will always be grateful for my experiences in her classroom. I hope the ripple doesn't stop with me though... Here we go Lakenheath!
I like this one.I feel the exact same way about some of out teachers and leaders...in fact, last month, I wrote about some of my mentors when I was young and impressionable. It's not on my blog yet, though...will be eventually. lol.
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