Joan Moser
August 21, 2009
I was at a wedding this weekend. I really do enjoy weddings but this one was particularly special. The mother of the bride is one of my dearest friends. The bride is a beautiful young woman who I watched grow up as she went to the elementary school at which I taught, and the maid of honor was my former third grade student. The wedding was lovely, the bride gorgeous, and the ceremony memorable, but the day itself was more than unforgettable because of the wonderful opportunity it afforded me. I had a chance to visit with former students who are now young adults.
I was positively amazed at how quickly their memories of our time together in elementary school came back. It became quite poignant when I zeroed in on what portions of our time together were easily recalled in their minds. There was no mention of test scores or standards. However, they remembered with great clarity the chapter books we read, as well as our pet tarantula, turtle and hedgehog. Laughter abounded as Brooke, the maid of honor, reminisced about the 'Spider Island' we built in our room and how she couldn't believe as a young child, deathly afraid of spiders, I could get her to come into class each day (spiders are still not her favorite creature to share a space with). They remembered the couch and soft lighting as a delightful place to learn together. They recalled my challenging them each in their own way, helping them love to read and write. And one of the girls remembered how much I loved being their teacher.
As the reception began, so did the toasts to the happy couple. I was brought to tears when Brooke, my former third grade student, stood up and spoke in front of the whole crowd. Her toast was eloquent and articulate, delivered with sincerity and humor all rolled into one. The feeling I had as I watched her was one of sheer pride knowing that I had played a small role in helping to shape her. The night was complete when she approached me afterward and said how thrilled she was that 'her teacher' was there to hear her speak.
This school year, our hope for teachers everywhere is that we will continue to have high standards, and that we will strive to move every child to their full potential. We also wish, that you will not let the pressures rob you of the joy in what we do, and that your year will be filled with the love, laughter and enjoyment that your students will remember for many years after.