Saturday, July 25, 2015

15 Years Later...


Of the many years I spent in school, 3rd grade is one that is very special to me. This was the year I began to be confident in my academic potential and in myself. Perhaps, it was because I was finally getting the hang of the English language and because I was coming to peace with the fact that my mom couldn't stay with me in class. Those two things were challenging for me in the previous years. As I look back, it was my teacher who helped me overcome those challenges and to believe in myself.

Mrs. Young. What a wonderful human being, teacher, and superhero. She not only looked out for my grades, but also looked out for my heart. She made me feel welcomed and loved in her class. I remember her always greeting my classmates and I before walking into the classroom. She often had fun and quick questions or facts for us as we shook her hand on our way into the room. One of my favorites was the shirt she would wear to help us remember a lot was two words. The red shirt had an a on the front and lot on the back. As we greeted her, she would point to the front and turn around to show us the back. It was simple, but creative and it worked!

Everyday was a fun day in third grade and a lot of learning took place. I still remember the songs we learned to help us with multiplication. The 9's table song was my favorite. It was to the tune of "She'll be Coming 'round the Mountain." We had a lot of engaging projects to help us learn about the Native American culture and to understand 3 dimensional shapes in math. This was also the year Mrs. Young helped me discover my passion for writing through poetry. At the end of the year, I wrote a poem for her and she told me one day I would become a great writer and even teacher. She reminded me of that poem a few years ago when I saw her at the annual crab feed. 

I don't know about the great yet, but 15 years later and I am a teacher. A 3rd grade teacher. I hope I can take what she has taught me and share it with my students. I am nervous, but also very excited for the upcoming school year. I can't wait to set up my classroom and make lesson plans. I am so excited to meet my new students in the fall. Please pray for them and for me. <3

Thank you Mrs. Young for being my champion.