I’ve been thinking about teachers lately, and not because I want to become one. Most kids annoy me, which means I would be a lousy teacher. We have such high expectations of them: educate each and every child in their classrooms, regardless of their learning styles; lovingly discipline our little brats; keep us in the loop about everything; make sure the classroom is decorated; don’t forget about class parties; and by the way, if an intruder comes in, protect our kids, too. But teachers shouldn’t expect to make much money because they get the summers off. All of us non-teachers should slap ourselves in the head right now. What we expect is unrealistic, but amazingly, most teachers still deliver.
I can’t stress the importance of teachers enough; one had a big impact on my life. In high school, Sr. Georgeann was unlike any teacher I had before. Her expectations for me far exceeded my expectations for myself. (I often wondered if she and my dad had a secret pact that if they believed in my future success, eventually I would, too.) Sr. Georgeann taught math and religion, but she also was the faculty adviser for Student Council. By senior year, I was Student Council president (humble brag), so I saw her often and came to think of her as my second mother. At the end of each year, there was a recognition ceremony for seniors. There was one award I truly wanted, and I knew it was a long shot. It was selected by the faculty, and while I was a great student and showed all kinds of leadership qualities, I was a bit of a partier—oh, and not a very good Catholic either (which is kind of important at a Catholic school).
Obviously, I was disappointed when I didn’t receive the award. I always will remember sitting in the audience chewing the inside of my mouth to prevent myself from crying. Sr. Georgeann asked me back to her classroom after the assembly. She handed me a box, and inside was a heart-shaped locket with a picture of her. I burst out laughing. She told me, “I believe you can do whatever you want in life. Anytime you doubt it, just look at my face.” I still own the locket, and while I don’t look at it very often now, I did when I first started my career. I knew I always had her in my corner.
Sr. Georgeann has since passed away, but I saw her a few times before she died. I told her how much her confidence in me made a huge difference in my life. I tried to spit out some other nice stuff, but she was never one for emotion, so she stopped me, asked me about the kids and gave me a big hug.
Everyone needs a teacher like Sr. Georgeann. I worry with the ever-increasing expectations we place on teachers, we will drive them right out of schools. So while I am not a religious person, I am going to say a little prayer for Sr. Georgeann—and every teacher. God bless you for believing in me and my kids. Without you, well, I just can’t imagine.
Contact Patty at phannum@townandstyle.com.
