“A teacher may leave the classroom, but the classroom never leaves the students. What you taught all those many years is still with your students. You made a difference in their lives. I’m here to thank you on behalf of each and every one of them.”
These were the thoughts I shared with the Hamilton County Retired Teachers Association a few weeks ago.
I guess I should have been a bit nervous when I looked over the crowd to whom I was speaking as there sat several of my former teachers. Mrs. Jacobi, Mr. Minton, Mrs. Dudgeon, Mr. Fleming, and Mr. Robison who taught when I was in junior high and high school at Noblesville in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I was just so thrilled to have the opportunity to thank them.
Notice that I used their last names. I still have so much respect for them. It’s the way I was raised.
Encouraging words from her high school teachers made a lasting impression on a young Janet Hart. (Photo provided)
Here’s what I believe …
Teachers share their knowledge with their students.
Good teachers are passionate about what they teach.
Amazing teachers are passionate about what they teach and have a gift for understanding that each student learns differently.
The thing about a teacher, who truly has a gift for teaching, is that their students remember how they made them feel special. A kind voice teaches much.
When a teacher speaks encouraging words into the mind and heart of a child, their voice is heard like an echo for many years.
Here’s another thing about teachers. Most of them were parents of little kids when they were teachers. That means they had to help their kids with homework, tuck them into bed, grade papers, and prepare for their next day in the classroom. Imagine when their kids were teenagers. They were with teenagers all day and came home to teenagers. Whew!
My teachers gave me the love of learning. I graduated in 1974, and I still love to learn. I’m still their student and I still hear their voices.
So, here’s to the teachers who continue to make a difference in the lives of their students. I know they do … I’m one of them.
Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). Visit janethartleonard.com.