A Thank You to Teachers

Since it's Thanksgiving season and everyone has been posting things they are thankful for on Facebook, I thought I'd do a thankful post myself. Since I'm going to be a teacher and was influenced by many great teachers, I thought I'd take time to thank a few even though I'm not in contact with most of them anymore. These are not even close to all of my teachers, but these are the few that stick out in my mind.

I am thankful to Mr. Johnson, my 4th grade teacher. He gave me a place in school, where I never felt like I fit before. He opened up the world of writing to me and encouraged imagination. I remember reading The Bridge to Terabithia that year and writing crazy made-up stories. I looked forward to school every day because of Mr. Johnson.

I am thankful for Mrs. Sidlo, my 5th grade teacher. Although I used to call her crazy and her tactics were often a bit odd, I never liked science as much as I did my 5th grade year. I learned to read a barometer and protect an egg from the laws of gravity. I still know that a nebula is "where baby stars are born" and can find Orion on starry nights. She also taught me the value of music during math and I used that for years afterwards.

I am thankful Mrs. Duncan, my high school English teacher. She didn't leave my papers unmarked for errors or call every speech "spectacular", but what she did give me is exactly what I needed. She made me better. I always valued her advice and worked to read, write, and speak to the best of my ability. The skills I learned from her have been so valuable in my life and I will be forever grateful. Actually, her influence, and the value I placed on her class greatly affected my drive to teach Language Arts myself. I remember once I was very sick at District Speech and she was so helpful. Not only did she give encouragement, but she actually found a couch for me to sleep on and gave me some kind of gargle so I could have a voice in front of the judges. I made it to state that year because of Mrs. Duncan and she still provides me with support today whenever I need help or advice.

I am thankful for Mrs. Kahrs, my high school science teacher. I learned more in her class than absolutely any other high school class. She made us work and no one coasted through her class. I spent every class period in her room with my mind tuned in, which wasn't easy for me to do at that age. She was also a sponsor for Future Problem Solving, which was a big part of my school experience and I thank her for that. I have always respected Mrs. Kahrs and know she continues to be a fantastic leader of future generations.

I am thankful for Mr. Sidlo, my high school computer teacher. One of my college professors constantly calls me the "techie" of the class and I always know this is solely because of the guidance I received from Mr. Sidlo. I make videos, edit photos, and am unafraid to try new technology because of his class. He gave me some much freedom to explore and experiment but also was there to help and teach me new things when I asked. Some of the things I was most proud of in school were the projects I made in his class. And most of all, I had fun. Mr. Sidlo was so much fun. Thanks.

So thank you to all of my teachers and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!