Ask me about my teachers in middle school and high school (even college), and I am stumped. Sadly, only a few of them stand out to me, and those only faintly. For the most part, their faces and memories are a blur to me.
Ask me about my elementary school teachers, and I can definitely tell you a little more. At the very least, I can remember all of their names. I spent a full year in their classrooms, after all.
But ask me which teacher out of my 19 years of schooling that had the biggest impact on me, and my answer will always be the same.
Mrs. Smith
Can you pick me out of the line-up? Hint: I am not in the front row.Mrs. Smith had quite a reputation at our cozy elementary school in San Jose, California, where I grew up. She was the teacher that was most dreaded. The one who inspired the most groans on our campus. Most children at our school were safe from the wrath of Mrs. Smith, but I knew that I’d have her–not only once but for two solid years. Mrs. Smith taught the 5th and 6th grade G.A.T.E. class, and I was a part of the G.A.T.E. program. The only way I could escape her was by failing 4th grade, and I just wasn’t that kind of student.
And so I endured. I endured challenging assignments and occasional recesses spent writing lines (I will not forget my homework. I will not forget my homework, etc……100 times). I didn’t enjoy it. Mrs. Smith pushed us harder and farther than any of us probably thought we could go. She got mad when we didn’t perform. And when she was mad, she was really mad. Class could be pretty miserable. But when we did well, she praised us. And in the end, we knew that she loved us.
By the second year in her class, I was accustomed to her rigorous schedule. I wasn’t quite so miserable. We learned self discipline, organization, and how to teach ourselves. Her method of teaching was completely different than the traditional classroom. She had volumes and volumes of text books. The fact that we were in 5th and 6th grade didn’t dictate our curriculum. It was rare to have anybody else in the class in the same unit in math. She went through her library of text books until together we found a book that was a little too hard. That was the one we got. And we went at our own pace until we had mastered it. I thought she was joking when she told me that my reading text book was high school level…until I walked into my 9th grade English class and recognized my old 6th grade text from Mrs. Smith’s class.
I have long considered 7th grade the year that my intelligence started deteriorating. I was always a good student, but I never felt quite as smart as I did in Mrs. Smith’s class.
I have often wondered why Mrs. Smith always comes to my mind when I think of the people that were the most influential in my life. She wasn’t particularly nice. I didn’t particularly like her class. She didn’t reach out to me personally or mentor me individually. I think her power in my life lies in the fact that she pushed me. She pushed me gently but firmly. She always let me know that she believed in me. That she knew I could do it. She gave me confidence in my ability to teach myself anything. Sometimes she was rough. Some days I went home crying. Some nights I spent more hours than a 10 year old should have trying to finish my homework.
But she taught me something important. She taught me that I could do it. That the power was within me. I could learn.
I didn’t love Mrs. Smith when I was in her class. At least I didn’t think I did. My love for her grew years later when I recognized some of the things she had taught me, and the influence she continued to have on my ability to overcome challenges and to continue to learn.
Francesca, this picture is for you. This is me during the Mrs. Smith era, in front of some familiar landscape, showing off some fabulous hair, if I do say so myself. If you have a hard time picking me out….I’m the one with the purple jacket. With me are my best friend and our little brothers, who were also best friends.
If you still need help picking me out of the class picture, I was wearing pink. Help?
What about you? Do you have one particular teacher that made a big impact on you and the way you learn?
Psst–Today’s post was inspired by Mayhem and Moxie’s Tribute Tuesday–teacher theme.
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I just saw your comment (you are correct….I don’t check the blog that often anymore,and I don’t get email notifications when comments are made). As a kid growing up with 4 siblings and then as a mom of five kids, it’s still surprising to me how differently people living the same situation, same family/classroom, etc can come away with such differently personal experiences. I’m so sorry for your experiences in her class!
You probably don’t blog anymore but I was just thinking about Mrs. Smith. Coming out of an emotionally abusive relationship I was reflecting and think very differently of Mrs. Smith. Yes, she was tough and had extremely high expectations. While that can do good, it can also be detrimental. I remember her publicly shaming people for missed assignments etc. I remember crying myself to sleep every night over Christmas break, terrified to go back. Before I even was in her class I was called to “stand trial” in front of her class over a ripped sweatshirt that I didn’t even have a part of during recess. I was judged and shamed in front of kids 2 grades older then me. It was a game/sport for them and we stood there, squirming and afraid. She would sit in her director chair, snacking on big pretzels, like a dictator. Was I pushed to do better? Yes. It was out of fear.
Thank you for sharing your story!
I was able to connect with my teacher when I was in high school and
living in Portland. I nominated her for Whos Who is American teachers,
and she found me through that. I've since lost touch with her. (Geesh–
it was only 18 years ago or so!)
I LOVED this post! You need to find your teacher and let her read this! Makes me want to get on and leave messages for all my students who keep adding me as their friend on facebook! I love that I got to teach elementary school and hopefully be remembered for a long time. I especially loved your pics too! :)