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Because of a Teacher

(This was my speech at the St. Landry Parish Teachers and Principals of the Year banquet on May 10, 2018.)


Assuming you attend K-8, High School, and a 4 year university: you’re probably looking at spending close to 35,000 or 40,000 hours in the presence of a teacher. Most of our waking hours during that time are spent in the presence of teachers.


So when I considered the time spent with teachers, I cannot overstate the effect those teachers had on who I am, what I do, what I’m passionate about, and the values I possess.


I started school in 1960 in Lubbock, Texas. I lived across the street from my school, and my sisters and I literally walked out the front door, crossed the street and entered the school building. I knew it was something special to start school, and that this was a transition from my life as "Ginger", to this exalted and somewhat dignified existence as "Virginia Ann" – my real name, and the name my teacher addressed me as.


In first grade, Mrs. Vaughter, at E.J. Parson’s Elementary School taught me how to read, write, add and subtract, but beneath those essential skills, she taught me how to play with others, share, and be kind.


My parents divorced when I was one month into Mrs. Tomlinson's  second grade, and my sisters and I moved in with my grandparents in Lamesa, Texas. I started a new school, South Elementary, and Mrs. Wade introduced me to the class as Ann because there was already a Virginia (Esquivel) in the class. (Just when I was proficient at spelling Virginia!) My new teacher, whose sympathy for my circumstances made her more understanding, more attentive, more intuitive, made sure that my classmates were inclusive and caring.


When I was in the fourth grade, President Kennedy was killed. We were at recess, and the principal announced it over the speaker. Teachers were crying, students were confused and shocked. I had never seen a teacher cry. It didn’t occur to me that they had that capacity. But, quickly and without reserve, my teacher, Mrs. Fincher calmed our fears, counseled us through the confusion, and sent us home that day armed with assurance and confidence that it was going to be ok; that she would be there every day if we wanted to talk. I learned from her that life is unpredictable, that tragedy comes suddenly, and without warning, but that if we are strong and have faith that we can move through it.


My elementary school teachers stood in front of the classroom every day, and taught the subjects that we all are familiar with. However, my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Shaw (who always dressed beautifully and smelled sweet) played kick ball, baseball, jumped rope, and even sometimes played jacks with us. The lessons learned on the playground may have seemed incidental, but, far more significant than you may realize. Teamwork, leadership, conflict resolution, and fairness were the values I came away with.


In Junior High, we moved from class to class, exposing me to many different teachers, styles, and personalities. And just as in Elementary school, I learned more than what was in the lesson plan. My favorite teacher was my band director, Mr. Pace. He was young and energized, infectious in his enthusiasm and confident that we could achieve championship status as a marching band, and then as a concert band. I learned competitiveness, how to challenge myself, and that I had it in me to be the best version of myself. I learned about synergy, about pushing through the exhaustion, that practice makes perfect, and that the taste of victory was sweet, but that gloating was not cool.


In High School, I was starting to think about life a bit more seriously, wondering what I might “be when I grow up”. Hobbies, interests and abilities were forming, and I found I had a love of literature and writing. My English teacher, Mr. Smith pulled from these propensities, a desire to be creative in my writing, exploratory in my reading, and precise in my composition of essays. I loved to write, and still do. Mr. Smith went beyond the textbooks. He brought the Readers Digest into the class! He made us identify our emotions reading real life stories, recognize alliterations, metaphors, idioms, analogies, poetry, and all of those elements that are used in great writing. He told me I was good, that my writing had promise. Wow! What those encouraging words and belief did for my self-confidence!


Balancing out the creative and intellectual growth I achieved through Mr. Smith’s instruction, was the domestic, civic and social growth that happened in Mrs. Holman’s Home Economics class where learning to cook and sew was only part of our instruction. She engaged her students in volunteering for community projects such as food drives, nursing home visits, March of Dimes, picking up trash, or babysitting. These activities and the fulfillment they provided, planted the seed that ultimately led me on a career path that focuses on making a difference in people’s lives, in neighborhoods and communities.


I can’t reflect on my teachers without including my Sunday School teachers, Vacation Bible School instructors and Youth Leaders. They all “volunteered” to instruct us on God's greatness; they loved us unconditionally, and instilled a spiritual awareness through thought-provoking discussions, profound testimony, and Christian fellowship. Reva Freeman, Patty Middleton, Venna Nix and so many others. They taught through example, and modeled before us what was good and decent, kind and thoughtful.


It’s not because of a single teacher, but because of many teachers, I am who I am.  Their influence doesn’t stop. I am still very much inspired by them today. 


Through United Way’s implementation of the Leader In Me, my awareness is heightened, and my admiration is multiplied as I see teachers literally changing the trajectory for our children by showing them they are all leaders, and they are all unique and worthy of greatness.


Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. This was true for me, as it is still true today.


And speaking of Readers Digest, I got this quote from Reader’s Digest: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”


This room is full of inspiration. I am honored to be in its midst.

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