Ms. H Was an Excellent Teacher

My favorite teacher growing was my 4-5th grade teacher.  I had been homeschooled for K-3rd grade with some stints in other programs and private schools. 

4th Grade I entered Gatewood Elementary school and I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t know how the school worked or what we were supposed to do.  I was 10 and I had not had much homework or grading of assignments.  I could read and I was good at math.  Socially, I was introverted and a bit shy but I desperately wanted friends.  

Ms. H came to work with us in the middle of the school year.  She wore long sweeping dresses  and wide legged pants and that made it look like she was floating on the swooshing fabric as she walked.  Her shoes were leather and WOOD! I had never seen a wooden shoe before, although I realized later that they were clogs.  She exuded warmth and it was clear that she really cared about each and every one of us kids, even though we had all just met.    

Ms. H loved children and animals. Her heart was huge.  One day with had been making terrariums in our class and we had Rollie pollie bugs in them and worms and all sorts of things we had gathered from Kurt side.  Someone (I have my guesses as to who) had speared a Rollie pollie bug straight through the middle with a tooth pick.  Ms. H found the little bug wiggling and writhing with the pick still in him.  She cried and talked to the class about compassion and love and caring and then she used a bottle to squish the little guy out of his misery.  She was upset and disappointed and in that moment I learned so much about compassion. But what I learned most was a result of her actions and not her words.  She didn’t treat the class differently after that incident.  She didn’t force any one student to come clean and publicly shame them.  She didn’t seek to punish the offending student.  She used the experience as a learning opportunity for the entire class and I learned to so much that day.  There was never another offense of that kind in our class.  

Ms H lived near us, and we became good friends over the years that I was in her class.  Then as the years went on I babysat her kids and we would occasionally go to the park or beach all together.  

Good teachers who not only teach academics, but also display the best of humanity, are worth their weight in gold.  ❤️