Teaching = influencing = rewarding

2 teach + 2 touch lives = 4 ever

So true. Recently bumped into a former student of mine. 28 years old! Wow! It's always amazing for me to see how the children, who have entered and exited my classroom at a very young age, turn out. Do the personalities and character traits we see in 1st grade remain? Are quirky behaviors lost in maturity? With this particular woman, she had blossomed into someone I would want to call a friend. As a young child, she was feisty. She loved to talk. It didn't matter about what, as long as she was chit-chatting away. Not ideal in a classroom, if you get my drift. With 20 other children, it can be challenging to divert attention away from a "talker." Her parents would say that they were just like her when they were younger. Now they were successful business people with a family of their own. This is  a typical response in a sticky parent/teacher conference situation. I know you all hear me! Anyway, fast forward 20 years, this little girl is wonderful. Her ease in speaking with me and catching up on her life brought a tear to my eye. Had I in any way influenced her? Had she used any of the things I taught her, 20 years ago? Without asking, I tried to decipher. Then finally, it happened......."I remember when you taught us that no matter what we did, or what mistakes we made, we could always say we're sorry and change it." She continued to tell me that this has become her mantra. She never felt trapped in a decision, nor did she feel stuck in a situation. She lived by the ideal that we can always change and make ourselves better. I was humbled. The fact that I made a difference in this young woman's life was humbling. Me! Tired, old teacher! This is why I do what I do, I thought. 2 teach + 2 touch lives = 4 ever! Sooooooo true!