The news is full of questions about education these days:
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Mrs. Bush, Beaver River Elementary, 4th grade
Mrs. Nagle, Beaver River Elementary, 5th grade…
Frank Barrett, Beaver River Elementary, 6th grade
Bob Giordano, Beaver River Junior High, 8th grade Science
Robert Williams, Beaver River Junior High, 8th grade Social Studies
Sallly Young, Beaver River High School, 10th grade English
Pierre Wallack, Beaver River High School, 12th grade
Ken Proulx, Sr. Beaver River High School, 11th grade Social Studies
I also had great athletic coaches: Wayne Ferguson (wrestling), Leon Brown (track,Cross Country, Phys. Ed.) Robert Norcross (Football) Jim Kramer (Football) Joe Perry (football)
My point in mentioning all these people is to illustrate that I had the great fortune of having a great many skilled and caring educators influence my formal education. Beyond that, and most important is the fact that I also had two very caring and dedicated teachers right at home. They would be my my mom and dad.
Which leads me to my greater point, that being despite what politicians in Albany and Washington would have you believe, the biggest factor in student success is right in the home. And until we address the downward spiral of this institution, no amount of tinkering with teacher evaluation systems, standardized test results, etc. will improve our broken education system.
This is spot-on, IMHO:
“…despite what politicians in Albany and Washington would have you believe, the biggest factor in student success is right in the home. And until we address the downward spiral of this institution, no amount of tinkering with teacher evaluation systems, standardized test results, etc. will improve our broken education system.”
Well, there went my thunder :–)
For me it was Mrs. Van Valkenburgh in fourth grade at No. 50 School in Rochester NY. . She knew I loved to read and was bored with the books we were reading in class. So she asked me to be her “book advisor” and gave me extra books to read and discuss with her for possible use in class. She kept me engaged and motivated and I’ve never forgotten her.
None.
Her name was Kezia Busby Goolsby. It was 1938 or so and NYC schools had a intelligent and gifted children program. I loved to read. She opened doors for me. Forty years later, I enrolled at Suffolk Community College and had a wonderful English Comp teacher who did the same.
I went to PS139 in Rego Park, Queens but the IGC program was at PS144 in Forest Hills. Had to take the bus. That was important.
I loved Mrs. Goolsby.
Mr. Lance Jo, Baldwin High School band maestro extraordinaire.
It’s not that I became an outstanding musician – though many did, under his guidance. In fact, by the end of high school I’d given up concert band in favor of varsity sports and working Fri, Sat & Sun cooking pizzas and burgers at a local restaurant. (There are only so many hours in a week. Mine were full.)
But I’ve never forgotten the way Mr. Jo modeled character, compassion and wry humor. He knew that good teaching extends beyond specific subjects, beyond classroom walls.
For our son: Mrs. Paula Sekiguchi, a superb kindergarten teacher at Noelani Elementary. She showered every pupil with love, enthusiasm and gentle discipline, while tuning each day into a fantastic adventure in learning.
I could not believe the stuff they came home with: total mastery of the phases of the moon? In kindergarten?! Yes, that and more. Mrs. Sekiguch was amazing.
She blew my mind. And set the stage for succeeding in school (and life) for any child she taught. A wonderful, wonderful teacher.
Um, that should be “turning each day” not “tuning each day”!
A simple typo, but did I mention how difficult school was for someone who loved to read and had a good vocabulary – but could not spell to save her life?
Computers and spell-check save my bacon (almost) all the time!
Well, mine was my father. He taught me how to love math…and physics.