Day 7 #EdBlogADay #ThankaTeacher

It is Teacher Appreciation Week, and I've had many people to show their appreciation for me as an educator; however, I could not do what I do had it not been for some very important people - my own teachers.  One teacher that particularly stands out in my mind is my high school homeroom teacher of four years, Mr. William Harris, who was also my science teacher.  Although he was assigned to teach me science, it was his philosophy that stayed with me all these years. I remember him saying to me, "Ms. Murphy [my maiden name], you can be anything you want to be if you put your mind to it."  It took years and years for that to really sink in, but today I believe that with all my heart all because of a seed Mr. Harris planted.

I remember another day when senior boys were coming in late and asking for pencils. Mr. Harris said, "Some of you are working now and buying all of this expensive attire for the prom, but you can't afford to buy a pencil? Isn't it amazing? People will pay for what they want, but beg for what they need. Buy what you need first, then if you have to, beg for what you want."  Still today I see students purchasing excessive amounts of snacks at the concession stand, but they will show up in class without pencil or paper and expect the teacher to provide it for them.

My last memory that I would like to share was a memory that has helped me as I developed into the person I have become.  I'll never forget it. I was in my junior year of high school, and the senior boys were having a conversation about who each of them were taking to the prom. I considered the girls they were taking to be beautiful, "mature" young ladies in that they were curvy and wore pretty make-up while I was bony and didn't have any clue as to how to apply the stuff. They were going on and on and on until finally Mr. Harris says, "Why are you all taking 'those kinds of girls?'" You should be taking someone like Ms. Murphy.  She's respectful, smart, and intelligent. One young man replied, "Why would we take her? The only thing we would be getting is a brain in a skirt?" I was totally humiliated to the point that I wanted to crawl under a rock and disappear. But now as I look back on that day, I am so proud to be that brain in a skirt. My brain has evolved more than ever, and my skirts fit just fine around my curves, AND I can apply make-up now if I so desire!

I realize that  Mr. Harris's message that day was that I was a lady to be respected, and what I had went much deeper than surface beauty. I'm not saying that if a woman is appealing to the eye that she doesn't possess that, I'm saying that what's on the inside will make the outside beautiful. 

Thanks Mr. Harris, for the lessons you taught me. I share some of the same philosophies with my students today that you once shared with me. You are truly appreciated some 28 years later.

#EdBlogaDay Challenge/How We Know When Our Profession is Respected

I signed up for this challenge I saw on Twitter #edblogaday with to blog daily, usually with specific topic with some flexibility. I took the challenge, then failed miserably at getting started. I'm not sure if I can "catch up", but I can certainly "catch-on."  Today is Day 6 and the topic is "How We Know When Our Profession is Respected."

Times have changed tremendously since I was growing up. During my school years, if you were in trouble at school, you were definitely in trouble when you arrived home. In today's societies, if some students get in trouble in school, the teacher better believe she's/he's in trouble when that student gets home!!! However, that's not all students, not even most students. There are still those parents who raise their children to be respectful to teachers (or any adult). These parents go above and beyond to partnership with teachers and show how much they appreciate them for not only educating their children, but for protecting them, loving them, nourishing them, and in some instances - providing for them. There are community members that go out of their way during Teacher Appreciation Week and beyond to show their support for educators. There are numerous businesses that offer discounts to teachers.  I love it when I go into an establishment and see something that I want (especially for my classroom)  at a reasonable price, and I ask if they offer a teachers' discount, and their answer is, "Certainly!" It's also nice when I'm out having a conversation with someone that has nothing at all to do with education and I get asked, "Are you a teacher?" Do I smell like a teacher? Lol. So, in a nutshell I would say, "You know your profession is being respected when you get the kind of feedback that speaks to the appreciation of what you symbolize and represent."

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It's Spring Break!!!!

It's time to take a much needed break! Time to renew, refresh, and rejuvenate. I recommend trying something new, revisiting your New Year's Resolutions, getting back on track if you're not on track, doing some spring cleaning, reading a good book, and catching up with old friends.