life beyond the well…

Category Archives: Education


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Who is/was Your Favorite Teacher?

Today marks the beginning of Teacher Appreciation Week; a time where we tell teachers how grateful we are for the labor of love they devote to students every day.

I’ll hold off on my thoughts about teachers and the state of education. What I really want to know is: “Who is/was your favorite teacher? Why?”

I’ve had many favorites. Mrs. Robinson, who taught me for 3rd and 4th grade challenged me. She differentiated instruction for me to ensure that I wasn’t bored in class.

Mr. Smithson and Ms. McCormick made me love history. They told stories so beautifully and passionately and really made history come alive for me.

Ms. Hudson believed in me. And because she believed in me, she worked with me and on my behalf to make sure that my dreams came true.

Ms. Hebert, Dr. Harris, Dr. Jordan, and Dr. Morrow each took part in molding me into a better writer and thinker. They gave exceptional feedback and insight into how I could be better, time and time again.

Each of these teachers invested in me, and in many cases, took me under their wings and loved me as if I were their own child. They were phenomenal examples to me of what it means to be a great teacher.

So, these are my favorite teachers. Who are yours?


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Unspeakable Joy

When working with teenagers, a lot of your day can have intense and extreme emotions.  Extreme frustration.  Extreme delight.  Extreme anger.  Extreme sadness.  As they go through these emotions, sometimes I do too.  Sometimes their actions push me to THAT point; other times, things that happen to them allow me to feel a certain way.  Nevertheless, it is a constant emotional cycle.

I’m not sure if I’ve done enough to explain the joy that working with students can bring, and partially because it’s difficult for me to find the words.  For example:

  • How do you find the words to describe the feeling you get when you watch a student overcome their fear and stretch themselves to conquer something that has previously terrified them?
  • Or what words are there to describe the feeling you have when a student who has repeated grades, runs to show you his report card- and you see that he not only has grown 21 points in one class since the last quarter, but he’s also earned Honor Roll?
  • Even still, how do you describe the feeling when your seniors tell you that after years of dreaming and working, they’ve been accepted into their top choice college?

I don’t always do a good job of articulating the sheer joy and delight that working with students can bring.  The 3 moments that I described above are very real- and I experienced them all over this past week.  It’s safe to say that working with students creates moments of unspeakable joy, and I’m very blessed that they have allowed me to be a part of their lives.

Unspeakable joy.

Until next time…