I have loved this poem for years and years and years. To me, it speaks to the few educators I had that impacted me greatly - Miss Gibbs (6th grade), Miss Halfhill (high school algebra), Mrs. Lucille Wharton (high school guidance counselor), Dr. Lester K. Beavers (undergraduate sociology), and Dr. Jody Wolfe (my key doctoral advisor).
Just so you know I keep count…that’s one elementary teacher…one high school teacher and a guidance counselor…one undergrad professor and one doctoral professor.
That’s it. I have 5 memorable educators in my whole life.
I’ve treasured this poem, then, for decades. Imagine my surprise when I found out Mark Van Doren was a real teacher and I even found his obituary!
This poem got me thinking about my own teachers and I decided to reach out to them and tell them they were my most memorable teachers. Unfortunatley, Miss Gibbs had already passed when I tried to find her. I asked classmates, a local historian in my hometown, and…well, my entire town (via social media) about Miss Gibbs. One of them sent me her tombstone and some geneology about her family.
I didn’t even know her first name until I got this…always just thought her first name was “ Miss”. I’m still searching for a picture of her. Thus, my way to honor her today is to speak her name as my first memorable teacher. I did, though, a few years ago get invited to go back to my elementary school to speak to the student body about bullying.
Once, when I was on a social media site for a high school reunion, I asked about my favorite high school teacher, Miss Halfhill. And I’ll be darned if old school chums didn’t come through and helped me connect with her. I wrote her on social media:
And I’ll be darned if she didn’t write right back to me!
I also was able to connect with my most memorable doctoral professor - Dr. Jody Wolfe - and begin a new relationship with her through lots of email exchanges. She is now retired and runs a dog rescue organization in my home state. From Dr. Wolfe. To Dr. Woof! Charming.
To Do List for Week 1
1. Check out www.professorsapp.com and download the syllabus and get a glimpse of the semester.
2. Check out www.jeffsapp.com and look around. That’s where I keep all my professional writings. I think you’ll find something there for you.
3. Introduce yourself and do the Introduction Blog.
This is the first thing we’ll do to introduce ourselves to each other. I use the Disqus system for blogs and all you have to do is go to the blog link and sign up for free. Put your cursor over the “400 Blogs” in the menu at the top of this page and you’ll see the “Introduction” blog there. PLEASE use your first name and last initial as your Disqus name - it is the only way I have to track your posting. Then tell us your grade, subject, and what you either hope to be teaching soon (if you’re new to the profession) or what you are currently teaching and how long you’ve been teaching (if you’re one of our veteran educators).