The Gift of Passion

From very early on, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher.  My second grade teacher, Mrs. Chickering, was both my hero and my role model.

Now there was nothing wrong with my first-grade teacher.  Well, not according to me, but my mother was very, very concerned about her not being married at the ripe old age of 29…. Oh, and there also was the orange lipstick she wore at Back to School Night.  Mother never talked to me about my teacher, but I would hear her talking on the phone about such matters.  Miss Daniels was a good teacher, but Mrs. Chickering had the knack of making all of her students feel “special” and her curiosity and love of learning were contagious.

Often, I would come home from school and after getting something to eat, I would go upstairs and set up my own classroom.  This consisted of small pieces of paper, each one with the name of one of my students on it.  These “desks” would be lined up on my bed.  The lessons were always the same.  On my small blackboard, I presented (curiously enough) an explanation of rice paddies and the irrigation systems in China.  (Who knew?)  This was always followed by my reading a book to my class.  “Billy” was my one big challenge, and I was forever having to move his “desk” to keep him out of trouble.  

To this day, I am grateful for Mrs. Chickering’s role in my life. 

She loved teaching kids and she loved books, and she passed both passions on to me.

Who has inspired you?