LET'S TALK ABOUT . . .


                                                       "APPLES ANYONE ?"


Fall is upon us.  Schools are opening their doors to students.  Parents are franticly making sure their children have whatever school supplies or funds they need to enter into another year.  It is often a challenge for families to find the finances to supply all their children with whatever they need.  Kudos to organizations that help by running campaigns to collect or supply what cannot be easily purchased by many families.

I loved school.  I loved shopping for school supplies.  I still find it hard to resist walking through that section in a store and not wanting to reach out and just run my hands over the notebook paper, binders, etc.  I realized recently that it is an act of appreciation and hope on my part.  Education can play a life-shaping role in our lives.  For many it is a pathway to a different kind of life or to a life that would be out of reach without it.  Education can provide a kind of hope for the future.

Teachers are a kind of resource in their students' lives.  Everyday students access the resources provided by their teachers in order to learn, grow and define themselves.  Many of these teachers are so much more than just teachers.  They are advocates, protectors, counsellors, mentors, role models, mediators, "anchors," even "stepping stones" in the lives of their students.  We all know this is not always the case.  Teachers can also have a negative impact on the life of the student for a lifetime. If you stay on an educational track long enough you will probably have a story on each side of the continuum, both positive and negative.  This fall let's focus on the positive wherever possible.

Can you think of a teacher who made a real positive difference in your life?  How?  Do you think they ever knew the difference they made?  Did you ever have the opportunity to acknowledge that difference and thank them?  I wish I had: so this blog is dedicated to Mrs. Staniford!

Mrs. Staniford was my fifth grade teacher.  She was quite a proper lady.  When I think back over it now, she was one of the first strongly boundaried women I ever spent much time around.  Shortly after entering her class in the fall she asked me to stay in for a talk over one of our daily recesses.  I had no idea why.  I just hoped I was not in any kind of trouble.  I could not imagine what she wanted.  I was taken aback by what was about the follow in that encounter.

She explained to me how busy she was and wondered if I would have any interest in staying in for one of the shorter recesses of the day and helping her with tasks like cleaning the chalkboard erasers, running errands to the office, photocopying, etc.  If I were willing to help her she was willing to purchase a hot meal ticket ($1.50/week) for me and slip it into the stack she received from the cafeteria every Monday morning.  She assured me that none of the students would ever know.

As I would help her I realize now that she was acting in the capacity of a casual mentor.  She was that stepping stone person in my life that encouraged me to work hard and get an education.  She told me that education was the pathway I needed to pursue toward the future I wanted.  I readily accepted the job, the meal ticket and the advice.  She invested in me and was instrumental in helping me chart the course for the next season of my life.

I do not believe my experiences with Mrs. Staniford were or are unique.  Every day teachers invest in their students and change lives.  They are often out there in the trenches fighting battles and standing in the "gaps" no one may ever know or acknowledge.  This year if we get a chance perhaps we can find a way to acknowledge and thank those that faithfully invest in our children.  Perhaps you still have the opportunity to thank some teacher who was instrumental in your life in a positive way in your own past. This year as you pack those backpacks and lunches, don't forget the "apple for the teacher."

Until next time . . . this is, Just Janice!