Often, at night, when sleep is hard to come by, one of my favorite ways of lulling myself to sleep is to remember students who have been in my classes. I am happy that quite a number of them have kept in touch through the years. I get a warm feeling basking in their reflected glory as I relish their successes and accomplishments. And I snooze off to dreamland with wonderful thoughts of them.
Teaching has been one of the many blessings in my life. I sometimes wish that I had more financial resources to be able to give things to people in need. But sharing ideas, knowledge and skills with my students is just as important and may be even more so. Through teaching, I help prepare them for life. Through the ideas I share, I help mold their minds and shape their character. I share my life story and offer them possibilities and alternatives of how to do things. I share the God I believe in and help them put meaning and direction to their lives.
Being a teacher is being like a sower. I sow the seed and then watch how the seeds grow. I have seen and been blessed with the fruits of my teaching. I thank God for this grace and the blessings my students have brought into my life.
I have been a teacher all my life. I am married to a master teacher. My father was a teacher. And somehow, quite unconsciously, I followed in his footsteps. he came from a family of farmers; but through his determination, he was the first in their family to go to school. And he also inspired several of his nieces and nephews to emulate him.
What our teachers teach us usually stay with us forever.
